Pokémon Iris: Redemption (Editing)
by ChampionIris17
Summary: (Formally "The Fall of Iris") Unova Champion Iris undergoes a traumatic experience during a critical battle and ends up losing her partner, Zekrom, to the head of Team Plasma, Ghetsis. Having to take time off to get herself back together and redeem her honor as a champion, Iris has to train herself and grow stronger to save Zekrom before it's too late. (Iris/Lance: 16/17)
1. Chapter 1: The Encounter

_**(A/N: I am rewriting/reconstructing this story since I wrote it a year ago and my writing has improved since then. I've been taking people's advice and I am getting much much better at it, especially with the Pokémon battles. Also I renamed it to Pokémon Iris: Redemption. I hope you guys enjoy and I'm always open to advice and feedback. Really helps a whole lot :)**_

As matches and matches passed, not one person could beat her. not counting Nate Black or Rosa White of course, the trainers from Aspertia Town, who beat Ghetsis together and stopped Team Plasma from succeeding in their evil plans. Other than both of them, no one could beat her. She's had hundreds of battles. Say out of 100 battles and Nate and Rosa being two of them, she won 98 out of 100. 98 freakin' percent. That's crazy incredible. Being the strongest trainer in the Unova region, she was growing quite bored and wanted some real competition. Not to be cocky or anything but she got tired of the same things and wanted to switch it up. So at one point when she had no challengers scheduled, she decided to leave her room and go on a walk.

She went deep into Chargestone Cave. Way deep. A hidden cavern where you could find one of the most strongest Pokémon in Unova. A legendary dragon that nobody could defeat. One of the very few legendary dragons that nobody could defeat. Iris begged to differ and took on that challenge. The Pokémon she decided to take on was Zekrom, a Dragon/Electric type Legendary Pokemon. 1/3 of Tao Trio, alongside Reshiram and Kyurem.

Iris' specialty was Dragon types. Growing up in Opelucid City under the wing of Drayden in their village, she was taught everything she knew. Two years ago she was a gym leader. She had been one of the toughest and youngest gym leaders, besides Blue Oak of the Viridian Gym in the Kanto Region. When she felt that she was ready, she took on Drayden, and after surpassing him she took on the Pokémon League. Lastly she took on Alder, the past champion of Unova. It was a close battle, both trainers having to be on their last Pokémon, but she ended up taking that win.

Although Alder was not required to step down, but he felt that he was getting older and it was time for retirement, so after their battle, he asked Iris to take his place. She didn't know what to do or say so she graciously accepted his offer and here she is today as the Unova Champion.

Anyways, as she approached Zekrom, she thought about how would make a great addition to her team, and it did. Iris took on Zekrom with her trusty Haxorus and wound up capturing it in a Luxury Ball, to raise the friendship of course. She thought Zekrom would not like her at first but she proved herself wrong. It was happy to battle alongside her. It trusted that she was an excellent trainer and she would not take it for granted. Word spread quickly spread across the region that the champion of Unova caught a legendary Pokémon and that her challenges would be impossible now. She grew so close to Zekrom as they battled alongside each other, battle after battle after battle. They were unbeatable.

This mysterious new challenger said otherwise. Iris was taking a rest after so many victorious battles and was awakened by continuous **__**BOOM!**__** and **__**CRACK!**__** sounds across her room. She sat up in her bed, alarmed, wondering what was happening. Her eyes examined the entire room, from the battlefield, to where her bed was, to the front door all over. Everything was frozen solid. It was like a nightmare. The first thing Iris thought about doing was jumping up and racing out of there with her Pokémon. They hated the cold and struggled in it's conditions.

 _ _"Oh no. What's going on?"__ Iris thought, worriedly, __"This isn't good at all. I have to get us out of here."__

As Iris grabbed her Pokébelt with her Pokémon, she attempted to sprint for the door, but something stopped her dead in her tracks. It was a tall figure with evil eyes, giving her a bloody dagger stare. Although he had one eye and the other was covered by some device, it still sent chills down her spine just to look at him. He had lime greenish, crazy, spiky hair, and a purplish blue and gold tunic made him look like some sort of royalty. He had a cane with him as well, which can often be infered to help him walk. Iris recognized him. She had been there when her old friend Hilda, the trainer who disbanded Team Plasma the first time, two years ago, faced him. He looked different. Maybe older? Or was it that she was actually seeing him close up for the first time in two years?

"What do you think you're doing?!" Iris screeched, her voice echoing throughout the now frozen room.

"My name is Ghetsis. I'm sure you remember me. I'm __friendly__." You could hear the smirk in his voice as he put the emphasis on the word friendly. He was up to no good and Iris had to watch out.

The head of Team Plasma. Not this again. He was back at it and it was pretty scary that he was purely confident this time. He acted as if nothing could go wrong.

"What are you doing here?" She spat, coldly.

"I've come for Zekrom, my dear." Ghetsis chuckled, evilly, "Just a fan, if you know what I mean."

"Zekrom is _my_ Pokémon. What are you saying? You're going to take him?"

"You're a very smart girl." He snorted, "but are you going to be stupid enough to fight me on this battleground? It's nothing but pure ice. Your dragons are no match for me here."

"I will fight under no circumstances! This ice isn't going to stop me from beating you!" Iris pulled out a pokéball from her belt and threw it in the air. Out popped her Haxorus, nicknamed "Drago." Her best friend. Her ace Pokémon. She's had it since she was a little girl at the Opelucid Academy she attended. Started out as an Axew but grew up to be a healthy level 72, jolly natured Haxorus. She had done some super training back in the Johto Region, in Blackthorn City inside the Dragon's Den with her boyfriend Lance, the champion of Johto, and best friend Clair, the gym leader of Blackthorn. They taught her Pokémon a special move called Draco Meteor. The secret weapon. Haxorus' signature move to be exact.

"You're making the biggest mistake of your life my dear." He warned, "Give up now."

"I'll never surrender to the likes of you!" She snapped, angrily.

"Then prepare to die." Ghetsis reached at his belt and threw a pokeball. Out popped his favorite Pokémon, Cofagrigus. A Ghost type Pokémon.

The battle started with Iris and Haxorus taking the first move. Although Cofagrigus was Hasty natured and was naturally supposed to outspeed Haxorus, Haxorus had naturally higher speed. It was fast alright, but she was faster. Even on ice, it was faster.

"Haxorus, use Draco Meteor!" Iris commanded.

Haxorus let out a loud growl and pointed it's head upward. A blinding red light began to form around it's tusks and when grew big enough, it shot towards the ceiling in a straight line and split into several different blasts and they landed all around Ghetsis and Cofagrigus' side of the battle field. They took the shot head on instead of dodging it for some reason. The meteors hitting the floor caused smoke to form and flow with the oxygen in the air. You couldn't see Ghetsis but you could hear him coughing and...laughing?

That made Iris mad. "What's funny?" She asked, loud enough for him to hear because he couldn't see her and vice versa.

"You and Haxorus always using that same move. So boring. Tell me, has she finally learned not to swallow her Dragon Pulse?" Ghetsis laughed, maniacally.

"What was that?!" Iris says, growing infuriated with his mockery of her, "I'll show you a Dragon Pulse! Haxorus, let's go!"

Haxorus didn't know where to aim so it used it's instincts. It opened it's mouth wide and a dark purplish/whitish beam erupted from it. __**ZZZZZZZT!**__ __It was moving incredibly fast at an unbelieveable amount of speed. It was too powerful to try and dodge. Whatever it hit was destined to go down. It went through the smoke clouds, making a hole for Iris to see and it hit it's target right on key. Cofagrigus was sent flying backward into the now frozen wall and hit the floor underneath it. It was unable to battle.

Fainted. Down one, five more to go.

"You're good, but are you good enough?" Ghetsis stated as he called back his Cofagrigus.

He then reaached for his belt the same time Iris did.

"Just shut up and call your next one, Mister." Iris rolled her eyes. She had no time for this. She needed to get out of here.

Iris switched out Haxorus and put in her Hasty natured, level 75 Dragonite, nicknamed "Serpent." Another fast one. She was all for speed, especially with this specific dragon type. She raised it from a Dratini. The same Extremespeed Dratini Lance had given her for her birthday. Another cherished partner of hers.

"Birthday present from your little boyfriend I see?" He observed the large orange dragon in front of him. It roared at him, creating a great wind to almost knock him off his feet. He held onto the cane for support so that he didn't fall.

"H-How'd you know that?" Iris asked, shocked by his statement.

Nobody knew that but her, Clair, Drayden and Lance.

"I know all about you Iris." Ghetsis stepped closer to her but Dragonite used itself as a shield and growled at him. "I suggest you step down now."

"N-Never!" Her answer was hesitant, but you could hear the instant fear inside her voice. She was creeped out by what he had just said to her.

"Are you freezing? Or do I scare you?" Ghetsis came closer to her once again and Dragonite stood its ground, swiping at the man. It almost came into contact with him. It was just protecting Iris.

Iris had a frightened look in her eyes but she tried to keep a brave face on to shield the fear. She didn't want him to see her scared because then he would strike a nerve.

"Throw your next pokeball!" She says, impatiently.

Ghetsis did so. He threw his next pokeball. Hydriegon. Another fast dragon, but Iris' dragon was faster once again and much higher leveled. Reasons why she had 1 hit KOs.

"Dragonite use Ice Beam!" Iris shouted.

"Now isn't that hypocritical?" Ghetsis laughed at her, "but I thought you hated ice, Iris. Ice Beam? Heh. Anything to win, right?"

"Shut up!" She screamed at him.

He was getting underneath her skin. Just what he wanted to do.

 _ **BLLLLLLLZZZZZTTT!**_ went Dragonite's Ice Beam as it shoots directly at the opposing Hydriegon. It didn't stop shooting until it was frozen solid. That's how angry Dragonite was. Hydriegon could no longer float due to being frozen, so it dropped out of midair. _**CRASH!**_ It hits the floor and the ice barrier breaks to become a bunch of broken ice shards. The poor dragon lay there, soon fainting. Iris actually ended up feeling for the Hydriegon. Ghetsis didn't even care and it was his own Pokémon.

"Excellent job, my dear Iris." He applauded her, that same smirk on his face.

"I don't have all day. Hurry up or get out." Iris says in a demanding tone.

"So impatient. Can't wait to witness your own defeat, can you?"

Her eyes grew wide in shock as those words left his lips. What could he possibly mean by that if Iris was winning this battle easily?

Iris said nothing and sent out her Druddigon. This Pokémon had a story behind it just like all the rest of her team did. It roared towards the ceiling and was ready to erupt a flamethrower from its lips.

"Nothing to say?" Ghetsis smirked, and then sent out his Drapion, "Guess you finally shut that smart mouth of yours up?"

Iris glared at him and opened her mouth to speak but it had run dry. He had struck a nerve easily.

"We'll take the first move, _little girl_." He knew how she hated being called that. He read her body language. She was annoyed with it. "Drapion use Giga impact!"

Iris' face dropped once he had said that. Her mouth hung open as she watched the blinding white light build up on Drapion's claws. When ready, the opposing Pokémon took a shot at Iris' Druddigon. The only thing that was seen was a big white flash. Ghetsis squinted his eyes, covering them both with an arm. The wind picked up around him and the smoke was starting to clear again. Ghetsis looked across the battlefield at Iris and Druddigon to see that Druddigon had used it's rough skin to brace itself from the blast. Both arms were shielding it and it was panting hard. It took a nice chunk out of its health but it was nowhere near fainting.

In fact, it was just getting started.

"What?! But how?!" Ghetsis asks, taken aback by how the blast had not taken the Pokémon out.

Rough Skin and high special defense.

"That's it, Druddigon! Now use Earthquake!" Iris commanded.

Druddigon slammed its fists into the ground and began creating cracks into the ground underneath the ice. It was so bad that the ice was breaking. It wasn't hurting iself though. Its rough skin protected it. The ground was breaking and craters were forming around Drapion. Before Ghetsis knew it, the Pokémon fell down a hole underneath it that was caused by the Earthquake.

It let out painful screeches and it made Iris feel bad about it. Once it stopped, she attempted to go check on it but Ghetsis stopped her.

"You have such a big heart worrying about your opponents all the time. Be careful with that. It's going to cost you." He still had that same smirk as he called back his fainted and injured Pokémon.

"What?" She was so confused.

"I'm actually growing quite impatient now. You're not even much of a challenge. Type advantages and disadvantages, yada yada yada. Boring." Ghetsis fake yawned.

"Hey, _you_ came and challenged me." Iris rolled her eyes.

"Yeah but it's no fun when you don't use that precious legendary." He shrugged, "Oh well. Guess I gotta use mine."

" _His?"_ Iris thought, _"He has a legendary Pokémon?"_

"You have a legendary Pokémon?" Iris asks aloud this time. She then burst into endless laughter, as if she were the one mocking him now, "Yeah right! Get real!"

"That's where you're wrong, little Iris." Ghetsis stood there, arms folded, "I have a legendary Pokémon that will crush you."

"Wait, huh?" Iris' eyes grew wide at that.

He was serious?

"Yes indeed. Would you like to see it?"

"If it'll get you out of here, fine. I'll see it."

"Big mistake." Ghetsis reached for his belt and threw up a Master Ball into the air.

Out popped a large Pokémon, about Zekrom's size. White, gray and bluish color. It was a third of the Tao Trio. The ice type. Kyurem. Iris examined it, her eyes growing with fear. There was no time to show fear but she couldn't help it. She didn't know what she'd gotten herself into. Why had she laughed in a serious manner? Why oh why? Clearly this man meant business.

"Scared now?" Ghetsis laughed, maniacally.

" _Terrified."_ Iris gulped and thought to herself.

Iris backed up and Kyurem stepped forward as if it were forcing her back. She was at her bed and began reaching under it. Her hand slid across a box and she unlocked it. It opened easily and she grabbed the Luxury Ball and threw it up in the air. Out popped her level 74 naughty natured Zekrom, nicknamed "Sparky."

"It's an even match." A confident look spreads across her face.

"That's what I was hoping you'd do!" Ghetsis laughed even harder now.

He pulled out two items, which obviously went with each other as if they were a pair of drumsticks. The DNA splicers was that they were called. He turned them on and pointed one in Kyurem's direction and the other in Zekrom's. Iris gasped in horror. She ran over to him to try and stop him. She knew what he was doing. She tackled him to the floor and the items went flying.

Not again. Watching this happen the first time was painful. She remembers Nate and Rosa working together to save it and free it. He was trying to force a fusion on it and Kyurem. This wasn't good at all. A blinding light flew inside Iris' room and around Zekrom and Kyurem. Zekrom was roaring and kicking away, trying to get free, meanwhile Kyurem was sitting still, as if it knew Zekrom was too weak to writher away from the fusion.

"SPARKY! TRY TO GET FREE!" Iris cried out.

"Foolish child!" Ghetsis smirked in her face, "Can't you see what is happening?! There's no way to get free!"

"Sparky come on!" Iris' voice cracked at that.

"Groooohhhhhhh!" The black dragon roared in pain. The splicers were hurting it and it broke Iris' heart to ear and see it. It was no use now.

 _ **WHISSSSSHHHHHHHH! BZZZZZZZZZZ!**_ The sounds of the fusion was just unbearably loud and disheartening. Iris felt like crying as she couldn't do anything but watch. Then Ghetsis laughing and smiling in her face wasn't helping either.

She watched the blinding light take in her Zekrom as it tried to fight it. It almost got out at one point but was taken back in. Out came a new creature. A creature never before seen. It was a cross between Zekrom and Kyurem. The two Pokémon had been fused together. This was Black Kyurem.

"What did you do to my Pokémon?!" Iris shoved him.

Ghetsis grabbed her by the throat and began to choke her. He brought her face to face with him. She felt his hot breath on her lips and she tried to get away from his grip. His frown turned into a devilish grin and she was desperately hitting at his hand to try and release herself from his deadly grip. It was no use. He was a grown man and she was a teenage girl at 16.

"Hit me again little Iris and I will snap your neck like a toothpick." He caressed her cheek, softly.

Iris turned her head away and he dropped her onto the cold floor. She coughed, gasping for air. He gave her a kick to the ribs, making it harder for her to breathe. She squeaked out in pain, holding her ribcage. She still couldn't breathe correctly. The wind had been knocked out of her.

"I wonder what Lancey would think of you now?" Ghetsis mocked, "A failure. A disappointment. You lost your legendary Pokémon to me. What a sad story. The whole region depends on you. Now you're helpless."

Iris looked down at the icy ground beneath her. She let a tear slide down her cheek and just shook her head, not wanting to believe anything she just let happen.

"I-I don't need a legendary Pokémon to prove my worth." Iris whispered, reaching for her belt, "My Pokémon are more than rarities to me. They're my friends."

"Tools my dear. Tools." He corrected her.

"I'll show you how much of "tools" they are!" She finally was able to stand up to her feet so she threw up a poke ball and out came Haxorus again.

"Boring. You never learn, do you Iris?"

Iris ignored him and commanded Haxorus to use Draco Meteor. She knew it wouldn't outspeed Black Kyurem but she had to try. Nothing she had was going to beat it in speed. Actually a Pokémon battle period. Ghetsis had the upperhand on this one. Its special attack/defense, speed, attack/defense, accuracy, all of it was doubled. One hit from that Pokémon and it was over.

"Ice always beats Dragon." Ghetsis grinned, evilly, "Kyurem! Show this incompetent child what you're made of! Glaciate!"

The Draco Meteor came down first, taking only a little damage away from Black Kyurem, which was a complete shock to them both. Somehow Haxorus outsped Black Kyurem, by the grace of Arceus himself. It came down like raging blasts all around Black Kyurem and it hit it. It didn't miss.

 _ **BANG! BAM! BOOM!**_

Smoke formed for the umpteenth time, surrounding it and Iris couldn't see where the Pokémon was. That's when it surpised her and came out of nowhere, swinging at the smoke to make a hole for it to see. Iris gasped loudly and watched as it's yellow eyes lit up and small ice shards began forming around it. It sent them flying towards Iris and Haxorus and they couldn't dodge it. It had been coming their way crazy fast.

Kyurem's Glaciate attack hit Haxorus head on and the ice shards that did not hit it, hit Iris, slicing her sides and her arms as she braced herself. She cried out in excruciating pain and fell to her knees the same time Haxorus hit the icy floor beneath them. It stung so badly. She was afraid to see if she was bleeding or not. But for a moment she didn't care about her well being and noticed her fallen partner right next to her.

"Drago. Oh no." Iris placed a hand over hers, "I'm going to get us out of here, okay?"

Haxorus had fainted...for the first time in ages.

"And just how are you going to do that, Iris? All you have is dragon types. They're WEAK against my Kyurem. Surrender yourself, child." Ghetsis mocked her once more.

"I'll never surrender!" Iris shouted, reaching for her belt. She threw out the next poke ball. Dragonite came out once again and was ready to avenge it's trainer.

"Glaciate!"

"Serpent, use extremespeed and dodge it!"

"You can't escape Black Kyurem! It's no use!" He cackled.

"We made the impossible, possible." She mumbled under her breath.

Dragonite used its ExtremeSpeed attack and drifted out of the way of Kyurem's deadly attack. In the process, it had gotten a few hits off of the ice dragon, but it wasn't any use. Dragonite was trying so hard to hurt Kyurem but the Pokémon snuck in an attack with an ice beam and knocked it back towards Iris.

"Serpent!" Iris cried.

It collapsed go the ground just like Haxorus, both unconscious and unable to battle.

Iris didn't even care that she was breaking rules by using more than one Pokémon in a one-on-one match. She sent her Druddigon, Salamence, and Hydriegon out to fight at once. Maybe if they all attacked together it would work, right? She needed to defeat this thing. She needed to protect herself. Now it was a life or death situation.

"All of you, band together and use Dragon Pulse!" Iris commanded.

"Pathetic." Ghetsis spat and then slammed the bottom of his cane against the icy floor beneath him, "Glaciate, Kyurem! Destroy them all!" He shouted.

The black and blue monster roared and its yellow eyes lit up. Iris watched as the same process that took out Haxorus began. She knew it was over but she had to try, right?

"Now!" Iris closed her eyes and her last three Pokémon all opened their mouths to conjure up one powerful Dragon Pulse to at least try and stop it.

A big explosion could be heard from miles away. Iris had her eyes closed, too afraid to open them. She didn't want to look at her Pokémon. Were they still standing? Did they faint? She didn't know what happened and quite frankly she did not want to. All she heard was _**THUD! THUD! THUD!**_ and she knew it was the end. But Ghetsis made her. He grabs her chin, jerking it upward. He forced her to look him in the eyes.

"Look around, Iris." He had that same smirk on his lips that made her skin crawl.

Iris turns her head all around to see, Druddigon, Salamence, and Hydriegon all unconscious on her side of the battlefield. She had no more usable Pokémon. She then looks down in shame. She feels like a failure.

She lost the battle.

"I'm so sorry." Iris apologizes to her Pokémon, forcing back sobs.

All of them took a beating and were seriously injured. They needed medical attention from a Pokémon Center straightaway.

"Know why you lost?." He snorts, "You were too headstrong and confident. You mocked the fact that I was going to destroy you. This friendship and rainbows thing you've got going on with your Pokémon won't work on a legendary beast like this. You should've surrendered yourself to me. You've let your Pokémon down, your village, the whole region of Unova. What were they thinking to put a 16 year old in charge of us all? You failed Iris."

"I go down, I fought fairly. Can't say the same for you. You cheat your way to a win." You could hear the defeat in her voice.

Ghetsis had not liked what she said so he slammed his fist into her stomach making her bend over on her knees to gasp for air. She crawled about, trying to find some air to breathe after getting the wind knocked out of her once again. He kicks her this time and Iris lets out a pained cry. It causes her to collapse on the floor, wriggling about. He then uses the heavier side of his staff to whack her in the back of the head with it.

Iris' vision became blurred as that last hit came in. She couldn't even crawl away now. She could barely move. She looked at Ghetsis with glassy eyes and before she knew it she passed out right next to her Haxorus.

He leans downward and soon takes a knee to where he's at her height. He strokes the side of her face gently and says, "Lance should be ashamed to date a weakling. Sad because you're such a beautiful little black girl." He brushed her hair out of her face and planted a kiss on her temple, "Is that how he kisses you? On the temple? Or the forehead?" He smiled but then observed her small body.

She had a gorgeous skin color and an incredible figure. She was short but had really nice curves. Ghetsis thought she looked stunning.

"I'm a gentleman so I won't hurt you." He whispered in her ear, "I'd love to stay and chat with you but I must leave you here. Goodbye, my sweet Iris." Ghetsis disappeared and left her laying there on the frozen floor for death.

Somebody had to find her. Fast.


	2. Chapter 2: Hospital Visit

_Lance Blackthorn was in the middle of a rematch battle with Ethan Gold as he had gotten a distress call from Marshal, a member of the Unova Elite Four. He and the rest of the gang had witnessed loud explosion coming from the direction of Iris' room and they all ran to go check on her._

 _Once they had gotten to Iris' room, they noticed that her room was unusually frozen. Her specialty was Dragon Types and they knew Dragon Types were at a disadvantage towards Ice types. So when they went looking for her, it didn't go so well. They immediately knew she was in danger. Shauntal was the first to find her and at the sight of her, she collapsed to her knees, gasping in horror._

 _Caitlin was freaking out. She hadn't had the slightest idea on what to do. Grimsley pressed emergency call on his Xtransceiver to get help. Marshal was just standing there in shock. He couldn't believe somebody had done this to Iris._

 _When help came for her, Shauntal and Caitlin rode in the ambulance with her to the hospital and Grimsley and Marshal stayed behind with the police to help investigate. It wasn't looking good for her at all._

 _"Sir, Champion Lance, sir. It's an emergency." One of the Pokemon League receptionists told him, "Iris Masters was rushed to the hospital."_

 _As soon as those words had escaped that receptionist's mouth, Lance immediately called back his Pokémon and ran off with no questions asked. He didn't wait for a plane or a boat to send him to Unova, he flew there on his Dragonite. He couldn't bother to wait, knowing his girlfriend was in the hospital and he didn't know how bad it was._

 _As he began dialing Clair's on his PokéGear, the radio had come on and it was a breaking news broadcast._

 _"Iris Masters, Champion of the Unova Pokémon League, was found unresponsive in her room after what has looked to be a dangerous battle. We don't know how bad her injuries are at the moment but we will keep you updated."_

 _"Oh no. Iris." was all that ran across Lance's mind._

 _Now he was growing really worried._

 _"Hey cuzzo." He had almost forgotten he called Clair._

 _"Clair. Get to the Opelucid General Hospital." Lance says in a serious tone._

 _"Why what's happening?" Clair asked, alarmed._

 _"It's Iris. Marshal called me. Something happened to her."_

 _"Dear Arceus." She sounded as if she were going to cry, "I'm on my way there now."_

 _"I am as well."_

 _ **…**_

Lance rushed into the hospital, despite the cameras and the flashing lights on him from the paparazzi. He could see the headlines now. "Lance Blackthorn, Johto's Champion visits girlfriend Iris Masters in hospital." Or something like that. Being known all over the world of Pokémon, Liris was a famous couple that everybody loved. They'd often get people sneaking pictures of them when they were out in public on dates or whatever. They could never get privacy for themselves but that's the way it was when you were famous.

"Lance! What happened to Iris? Lance! Over here! Lance!" A few reporters tried to get his attention.

Lance just ignored them, respectfully, and tried to get inside so he could see his girlfriend. He couldn't waste another second there. He asked Dragonite to fly fast and do his best to get here but oh how he wished he had asked him to land on the roof so he could enter through there.

Now he was inside and he was looking around the empty waiting room for some help. "Excuse me." He grabbed the nurse's attention, "What room is Iris Masters in?"

"304." She answered, then headed in the direction of the room Iris had resided in for the timebeing, "Let me take you to her."

"Thank you." He followed the nurse as she took him to where his girlfriend was. "What happened to her?" He asked, worriedly.

"Don't know. The medics wheeled her in and she and her Pokémon were in pretty bad shape. Her Elite Four members found her unconscious in her room and she called for help. Shauntal and Caitlin are with her right now. They rode in the ambulance." She informed him.

As they arrived to her hospital room, the nurse knocked on the door before opening it. Shauntal was hesitant at first because she didn't want whoever did this to come back and finish the job so Caitlin put her arm in the way so she didn't have to get up and got up herself to open it. Caitlin and Lance had immediate eye contact and she stepped aside for him to see Iris.

She looked so broken. She lay there unconscious still, small but many lacerations on her face from where the ice shards had cut her. They covered her face, her arms and parts of her legs. She also had a bandage wrapped around her head from when she had been whacked with the staff. Purple bruising was formed on her neck and on her stomach from when he choked her and repeatedly gave her gut punches. She had a pained look on her face while she slept and she was shivering. She was having a nightmare about it.

Lance's fists clenched as he observed her. Obviously who did this, it was no accident. They had meant to hurt his girl. His eyes darted towards her pokébelt which rested on a tray beside her. The pokéballs were scattered all over the tray and unbothered. There were scratches all over the pokéballs as well. Zekrom's Luxury Ball was still there. Lance picked it up and pressed the button. It opened but nothing came out. He stared at it, observing it, wondering why the legendary Pokémon wasn't present.

"Where's Zekrom?" He asked aloud.

"We don't know." Shauntal answered, softly.

Lance closed its pokéball and sat beside Iris. He took her hand in his and rubbed it. He wasn't afraid to brush his lips against her hand in a soft soothing manner.

"Iris, I'm here." Lance soothed. He rubbed her forehead and kissed it. "I'm here, don't worry. I'm here."

It caused Iris to slowly wake up, fluttering her eyelids. She tried to sit up but Lance stopped her when he noticed her expression on her face. She was in excruciating pain. He took off his cape and wrapped it around her, planting another kiss on her forehead.

"L-Lance." She gave him a real tight hug and he hugged back.

While she wasn't looking he looked over at the two Elite Four members and they looked back at him then stepped out to give the two privacy. They knew what he wanted and what he meant so they gave it to him without a problem.

"Iris, what happened to you?" Lance asked, stroking her back in a gentle manner.

"Lance…I-I-I- Zekrom is gone. I'm such a f-failure!" Iris burst into tears.

"What?" He gasped in horror, "Iris what happened?"

"Ghetsis. T-The Team Plasma leader. H-He tricked me. He froze my room to weaken my dragons a-and he used some new Pokémon. S-Something I never seen before a-and-"

Iris continued to cry and Lance held her in his arms, rocking her back and forth to try and calm her down. He wished he could've protected her from him. He knows he's warned her in the past about Zekrom but he knew he wouldn't have to worry because he trusted Iris. This was not technically her fault. She was ambushed.

"I'm s-sorry, Lance." She kept blaming herself for letting it happen though. She blamed herself for that and for not knowing any better that it was an obvious trick. Most importantly, she blamed herself for losing a battle she knew she could win.

Well maybe she had been wrong. Maybe this wasn't a battle she could win.

"Iris I don't care. All I care about is your safety. He could've killed you. I could've lost you. It's okay. I promise."

"H-He took Zekrom… He fused it with that Pokémon a-and I couldn't do anything but watch." She buried her face in her hands in shame.

"Haven't they tried that in the past? Froze your room? Ice type? I've heard about that Pokémon before. Was it a dragon?"

"Y-Yes…"

"Kyurem. It had to be."

"Yeah. I think that's w-what he called it."

Lance wiped Iris' tears away and held her face in his hands. He smiled small and pressed his forehead against hers. "Pretty girls don't cry." He gave her a quick peck on the lips.

Iris smiled but then it faded. She rested her head in his lap. She was upset and she was in pain but by Lance being here by her side she felt a hundred times better. "Are my Pokémon okay?" She asked, softly, "They took a lot of d-damage and the cold-"

"They're fine. Trust me." He didn't know that for sure but he didn't want her to worry about them. That should be the farthest from her mind. She needed to rest.

But it was Iris. She always put her Pokémon before her own self.

"Lance?"

"Yeah, Iris?"

"How did you find out I was here?"

"Marshal called me…then it's all over the news."

"Oh great. "Champion of Unova rushed to hospital after losing a devastating battle." Or something. Do they know I lost my legendary Pokémon? That's gonna be worse. I'm such an embarrassment."

Iris hated the public eye sometimes and she knew they were definitely talking now. She always felt she had to win everything so she didn't look bad. She always tried to impress people because she always listened to what people thought about her. Becoming the Unova Champion was the best thing that's ever happened to her and within a matter of minutes that was taken away from her. All because of a bloodthirsty madman.

"They shouldn't know that much. Just that you're hurt."

"They'll want to know why Lance. Gosh I'm such a disappointment."

"Iris. Please stop beating yourself up." Lance comforted, "You're not a disappointment, nor an embarrassment. Nobody could've possibly stopped him."

"But Lance I'm the Champion of Unova. Everyone is depending on me. You don't understand how much pressure that is."

Then feeling as if she failed to protect the whole region...that definitely took a toll on her.

"I do understand. I'm the Champion of Johto remember? I know what it's like to have all the pressure on you, like you're expected to succeed all the time when bad things happen. I've been there before. I know baby I know."

"Lance-"

"Look don't think about him right now. Think about me."

He didn't want her to keep blaming herself for something that wasn't her fault. It hurt his heart to hear her say those things when he knew and she knew they weren't true. Iris said nothing after that. She just stared up at him and nodded slowly. He cupped her cheek and leaned down to kiss her lips softly. She welcomed him by grabbing her arms around his neck. As their lips moved in sync like an ocean, so did their heartbeats as if it were the first kiss all over again. Those same Beautifly's and Combee's bouncing around their stomachs. Oh how Lance loved kissing her. She's the only girl he's ever kissed and he'll ever kiss.

Lance gently put Iris down to the hospital bed, resting his forehead against hers and stared her deep into her dark brownish, red, maroon colored eyes with his crimson ones. The sparks of a Pikachu flew as their lips connected again. He laced his fingers with hers and planted their hands against the mattress of the hospital bed. This was a normal thing they'd do in Iris' room back at the Pokémon League. He'd sneak up there like a rebellious boyfriend trying to see his girlfriend without her parents knowing, and they'd spend time with each other. Have a picnic or something. Just small hangouts. Then when that was over they'd makeout on her bed and she'd be there safe in the arms of the crimson headed Dragon Master.

Lance was such a good boyfriend to Iris. She was really happy with him. She remember the first time they met back in the Village of Dragons when they were kids. He was raised with his cousin Clair by their grandparents and Iris was raised by Drayden. They both grew out to be strong Dragon Masters and ended up being champions. Clair decided to stay back in Blackthorn City and take over the gym. It had just been those three their whole lives. Then when Lance became of age, he decided to ask Iris to be his girlfriend. That was when she had gotten the news that she was a going to be Opelucid's gym leader, at thirteen to be exact, where as he was fourteen. They've been together for three years now.

"Just think about me." Lance whispered against her lips, "You're safe in my arms, Iris."

"Lance." She groaned against his lips, "Don't leave me." He was all she needed right now.

"I won't." Lance rubbed her cheek and lifted her chin. He pressed his lips against hers once more.

Iris winced in pain, gripping his shirt. Lance looked at her to make sure she was okay and noticed the tears that were threatening to fall from her eyes. His eyes darted immediately to her neck and caressed the purple abrasion, lovingly, almost like he was healing her. He moved his lips to her neck and brushed them against it, softly.

"It hurts." Iris whimpered.

A tear escaped her eyes and he ended up wiped it away for her. Lance then planted gentle and loving kisses all around the bruises on her neck. Iris held onto him and shut her eyes tight because it hurt but then it eased up and she started to let out soft moans.

"I'll get him for you." He mumbled against her smooth, beautiful black skin, "I swear I will. Nobody does this to you. Nobody. You don't deserve to suffer at the hands of somebody like him."

"Am I interrupting?" A voice behind them questions.

Lance and Iris both looked up to see a baby blue haired beauty about Lance's height, maybe taller. She wore a baby blue and cerulean short jumpsuit that matched her hair, with matching boots and gloves to go with it. Her black cape was flying behind her. This cousin Clair. Iris' best friend. The one he had called on his way over here.

"Yeah. You're interrupting. Leave." Lance grouched.

"Lance come on. Don't be mean." Iris slapped his arm, playfully.

"Hope you're good for an oran berry smoothie." Clair handed Iris a drink, "My poor baby." She cooed as she hugged her best friend, "What happened to you, mama?"

"Ghetsis ambushed me." Iris says, growing embarrassed.

"The same dude from Team Plasma?" Iris nodded and didn't say anything else, "I'm just glad you're okay."

"He took Zekrom…" She whispered, loud enough for Clair to hear.

"He WHAT?!" Someone's voice boomed throughout the room. But it wasn't Clair's. The three friends glanced over at the person standing in the doorway. Drayden. Oh no. Iris knew she was in for a lecture. She cursed herself in her thoughts as he came up to her.

"Drayden. I-I-"

"Iris. Please tell me you didn't."

"Look I-"

"You let a legendary Pokémon fall into the hands of someone who is capable of destroying Unova? Heck even the whole world?! Are you serious right now?!"

"Mister Drayden. He-"

"I told you to be responsible! I knew something like this would happen! What were you thinking?!"

Drayden wasn't helping anything right now. Clair and Lance's faces grew angry as they listened to him yell at her like that. He wasn't trying to understand her at all. What she needed was compassion and advice. She didn't need it to be shoved down her throat like this.

"You knew? Y-You didn't believe in me? See Lance? I told you! I failed people!"

As Iris said that, Drayden's facial expression changed from upset to apologetic. He didn't mean for her to feel in such a way.

"Iris I didn't say that-"

"Drayden, with all due respect. Please shut up and listen to her. You're overreacting." Lance cut him off, "At least listen to what she has to say."

Clair lets out a sigh of relief. If Lance hadn't said it, she would have and her language would've been very...colorful with him. Drayden nods in understanding and turned his attention to Iris. He immediately took back what he said as he seen her beginning to cry. He didn't mean to hurt her feelings. He was just angry…but why at her? He should be angry at her attacker.

"Iris… You know I didn't mean that. Come here." Drayden gave her a father-like hug, "I was just mad. I didn't mean to make you upset. Don't cry. If I didn't believe in you I wouldn't have sent you to the Pokémon League. I just wanted you to be cautious for it. Just tell me what happened, okay?"

Iris wiped her face and then looked up at Drayden. She didn't know where to begin so she got right to the point. She swallowed hard before answering, "H-He froze my room, weakening my dragons and he used some device to fuse that ice dragon with Zekrom. I tried to stop it but it didn't work…"

"He used the DNA splicers to fuse Kyurem and Zekrom to make Black Kyurem. Oh God." He covered his mouth, "Nobody could've stopped that."

Drayden then remembers when back when Team Plasma and the Neo Plasma Grunts had done the same thing to Opelucid City that one time with some large ice machine powered by Kyurem to take him on. He knew exactly what she meant. It was their way of playing fair.

"See Iris? I told you." Lance soothed, "Nobody could've possibly stopped that."

"Not even me." Drayden spoke up, "They did that to my city the first time around."

"So how are we going to beat that thing and get Zekrom back?" Clair finally spoke up from her silence.

"Well I suggest we find Reshiram." Drayden suggested, "Blaze Mountain. It would have an advantage against Kyurem with it being Fire/Dragon."

"We need to go get Zekrom back." Iris tried to sit up, then cringed holding her ribcage, "We have to."

Lance helped her lay back, "You're hurt, princess." He told her.

"But Lance, I love that Pokémon. We have a connection. I thought it wouldn't like me at first but it understood me and I understood it. We became true friends. I need to help it."

"I know, Iris, but I'm concerned about your health."

"Zekrom is more important."

He couldn't argue with her so he just went along with what she said. Even if Iris had bruised ribs she'd break them for Zekrom. She'd mean it if she said it too. She had to save it.

"We're going to head back to the Village of Dragons." Drayden insisted, "I'm taking you home to rest up and then we'll decide what to do."

"Okay…" Iris let out a depressed sigh.

Lance hugged her once again and they all sat there quietly. Not another word was said.

 _ **…**_

Meanwhile back at Team Plasma's abandoned HQ, Ghetsis sat in his chair, chuckling at this, mocking Iris. He was watching them from the hospital security cameras. He felt that he had broke Iris and she was showing signs that he did. Something he wanted to succeed in. He took a sip of his black coffee and then set it back down on his desk before hopping up and throwing Black Kyurem's pokeball. Out it came, roaring loudly. He smirked at his wonderful creation.

"Thanks to that little girl being so weak, I have you. Now…I'm going to rule the world." He laughed evilly, "And they can't possibly think Reshiram could stop me." He pointed at the case behind him. There Reshiram was. He had captured it. It was badly injured and close to dying. "I'll let them think they can stop me. But in actuality, NOBODY CAN!"

He meant every word too.


	3. Chapter 3: Old Rivals

_**THREE DAYS LATER...**_

The blinding lights of the flashing cameras were in their faces as they left the hospital, escorted by security. Drayden lead the way, his arm around Iris protectively. Three days in the hospital and this is the type of things she had to deal with. No privacy. Lance had that same annoyed look on his face from when he had first arrived there. He hated the public eye more than Iris did.

Iris climbed into the van carefully as she tried not to to hurt her ribs even more than they were. Lance helped her out and she looked back at him and gave a small smile. He winked and climbed in behind her. Clair watched the two and smiled to herself. She loved their relationship. Sure they could be annoying with all of the lovey-dovey things but they were just teenagers in love. Reminded her of her and her fiance.

"Lance." Iris looked down at her fingers, fidgeting with them, as if she didn't know what to say. He reached over and wrapped his arm around her, making her look up at him in his eyes. Maroon to Crimson.

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to." Lance told her, "It's okay."

"I just don't feel like a champion anymore..." She whispered, dejectedly.

"You are and you will always be my little champion." He ruffled her hair making it fall back into place.

Her cheeks reddened at the sudden peck on the cheek. She felt her face grow warm at that. She rested her head on his shoulder and he pulled her in close. Drayden watched them from the rearview mirror after getting in the car. He remembers when he was that young and he had a girlfriend. They reminded him of his long term relationship at that age.

Clair being the oldest of the trio in her early twenties, was engaged, as mentioned. She knew what it was like being in love. She was engaged to a Dragon Tamer from their village. He wasn't too well known because he wasn't as famous as Clair and that's the way she liked it so that her love life and him was protected away from the public. She never spoke about her love life really.

They all didn't but Lance and Iris' relationship got out by people spying on them on a date and they kissed and it was everywhere. It had gotten so out of hand to where they decided to release a statement and tell people. Ever since then people care more about their relationship than their Pokémon battles. They easily felt that they made a mistake about telling the public.

"Iris, I'm so used to you having your Axew hiding in your hair. It was so shy. Remember that?" Clair stated, obviously trying to start a conversation.

"Yeah. She's all grown up now and fierce." Iris replied, softly.

"I didn't think you wanted to evolve her."

"I really didn't want to at first but then I realized she was ready to and so I just trained her."

"She's gotten pretty strong but she's not the only one." Clair glanced back at the younger black girl.

"Me?" Iris questioned.

"Iris, yes you, silly." She chuckled.

"I don't really know about that."

"Oh come on. You tamed a legendary dragon and made a connection with it. Single handedly-"

"With you training methods, Clair. Yours, Lance's and Drayden's."

"Iris you told me yourself you went to go down deep inside Chargestone Cave to catch Zekrom and add it to your party because you wanted to change up your routine. You wanted to reward yourself for the winning streak, correct?" Drayden looked at her in the rearview mirror once again.

"Yes." Iris nodded.

"And you promised me you were going to train it and didn't you do so?"

"Yes but-"

"No buts. You trained it well and it loved to battle alongside you. Isn't that correct?"

"Yes but Drayden-"

"Then it doesn't matter whose methods you used. Its all on the trainer. You learned well, Iris. Our methods are meant to be shared. I'm a teacher at the Opelucid academy remember?"

"Yeah..."

"You've come a long way. I'm proud of you, my child. You are a champion. You earned that title. Don't let him think he took that from you just by being a thief and a cheater."

"Thanks...Dad." Iris whispered that last part.

Iris sat quietly and listened to Drayden. She understood what everybody was saying. They were trying to make her feel better but she honestly wasn't trying to hear any of it. That was more than just a loss. It really effected her. He was basically her dad. Iris was an orphan. And like mentioned in the last chapter, she was raised by Drayden. He didn't have to be blood to be her dad.

Once they got to the Village of Dragons later that day, kids came running to Iris and hugged her. She cringed in pain but forced a smile on her face, wrapping her arms around each kid. "Iris!" They all scream excitedly.

"Careful children. Careful." Drayden warned them.

"No. Drayden. I'm okay." Iris told him, making eye contact, "I'm okay."

"Iris, we missed you!" Avery, a little girl hugged her waist.

"Avery. Louis. Chloe. Stevie. I missed you all." She gave them all a bear hug and a kiss.

Whenever Iris visited, she'd be with the kids, teaching them how to battle with their Pokémon. They were Jr. Dragon Tamers. She looked after them as if they were her little brothers and sisters. The ones that she never had but always wanted.

"Are you hurt?" Stevie noticed her, holding onto her ribcage.

"No. I'm fine. I'm really REALLY glad to see you guys." Iris lied.

Of course she was really happy to see them, but she didn't want them to know what happened to her. Children didn't need to have such images inside their minds. Which was why Iris was glad when they changed the subject. She did not want to explain anything to them that they shouldn't hear.

"Iris! My Dratini evolved!" Chloe says, excitedly.

"It did? Let me see!" Iris exclaimed.

"Come on out!" The little girl threw up the Luxury Ball and out popped a gigantic Dragonite.

Iris stared at the large Pokémon above her. "Grrraahhhh!" It roared loudly. It looked down at Iris immediately recognizing her. It wrapped it's arms around her, holding her in the air. Iris was trying her best not to cry out, in fact she did, but she made it seem like she was happy to see the large dragon. It began to lick her with it's large pink tongue and she laughed softly, hugging it back.

"You've grown so big, Dragonite." Iris ran her hand across it's head, petting it.

"Wanna see Gible?" Avery asked, shyly.

Iris nods and Avery sends out her Pokémon, which is now a Garchomp, Stevie sent out his Bagon which is now a Salamence, and Louis sent out his Deino which was now a Hydreigon. All of their Pokémon remembered Iris. It was such a cute sight to see.

"You've all grown so big." She looked around at all of the well trained Dragon types.

"You helped them Iris." Avery tugged on her pink dress, "And we can't thank you enough."

"Wow." Iris was amazed at what she saw all around her.

"Can we have a battle Iris? Pleaaaaase?" The kids begged her all at once.

Iris kneeled on her knees in front of them, getting to her height. She wrapped her arms around the group. "Listen, I...have to do some things first. When I come back, I promise you we'll have some battles, but not now, okay kids?"

"Okay Iris." Stevie answered for them.

"I love you guys."

"We love you too Iris." They exchanged hugs and then ran off to go play with their Pokémon.

Iris looked around for Drayden. She had not seen him around so she figured he must've went back to their place already. A few familiar faces passed her by and waved at her. She waves back and sends them an assuring smile to let them know she's okay so they didn't have to worry. That smile turned quickly into a frown as she looked back to see some girl with Lance. A pit of jealousy flew over her as she seen the girl touching all over his arms. He obviously had a muscle shirt on to show them off. He was resisting her but she kept touching him and even tried to sneak a kiss in.

"Listen, I have a girlfriend." Lance put his hands up, defensively, "and she wouldn't like this, so can you leave me alone? Please? I'm asking nicely."

"I don't see her." The redhead giggled, twirling her hair.

"Well she's-"

"Look right behind you." Iris spat coldly.

She turned around quickly to meet Iris' maroon colored eyes with her turquoise ones. A smirk came across her face as she took off her yellow hat. "I don't see much." She snorted, "Iris."

"Georgia." Iris gritted her teeth at that.

Iris and Georgia were long term enemies. She always used to bully Iris back at the Opelucid Academy. Iris used to be so shy and timid but now she's grown up and grown more confident. She couldn't step up to Georgia when she was younger. She was too scared to but now she could and she was glad that she could because she was tired of being picked on.

"Oh so Iris is your girlfriend I see." Georgia let out a loud snort before cackling as if she had heard the best joke, "Yikes, Lance. Do better."

"What are you saying?" Lance questioned with a frown, "She's beautiful."

Iris blushed at that and looked over at him with a small glance. It made her happy when he defended her.

"Her? Iris? You're kidding me, right?" Georgia laughed harder if it were even possible.

"Yeah her. Iris Masters. She's the most beautiful girl on this planet."

"Yeah right."

"It's the truth. No need to be jealous."

"Jealous? Why would I be jealous of a pathetic loser who peed her pants in front of the whole gym class?"

"That was six years ago!" Iris screeched, "and I got lost in the forest and almost killed by a swarm of Beedrill!"

"How come they didn't show up when you came back?"

"Because...something saved me. I already told you."

When she was 10, Iris was attacked by a swarm of Beedrill and she thought she'd die. She was so terrified she'd peed her pants. A wild Druddigon, which is the one she owns now, saved her and Axew by using its Flamethrower attack. Ever since then, she's never let Druddigon forget rid of that move because it saved her life. It found her again later that day and let itself in a pokéball waiting at her doorstep. She told Drayden about it and he told her it was her destiny to become a Dragon Master because of the two Pokémon she had then, which were Dragon types. She thought of it that way too.

"Wasn't it Druddigon?" Lance questioned, wrapping an arm around her, protectively.

He loved to listen to her stories about attending the academy. She had so many adventures there, exploring the wild making friends with wild Pokémon all around. Even if she was always alone, she always made a way to entertain herself and her partner. Then at one point Lance moved to Unova from Johto and attended the academy as well. When Lance and Clair came, they immediately clicked with Iris, both having special bonds with her.

"You remember that?"

"I like listening to your stories."

"Okay. If that Druddigon saved you, can it save you from defeat? I challenge you to a Dragon Duel. Right here. Right now." Georgia challenged and began reaching for her pokébelt.

"I have things to do. Maybe another time." Iris turned go leave, taking Lance by the hand.

One part of her immediately dropped its confidence once she had challenged her. Georgia liked studying Dragon Types but her specialty was Ice Types and Iris was not about to lose twice in a row to ice type Pokémon. But she didn't want Georgia to know that. She had bullied her enough.

"What are you chicken?" She imitated chicken sounds, trying to irritate her.

"No. I just don't feel like battling."

"Afraid you'll lose? Or are you still afraid of me, Iris?"

"I'm not afraid of you! I-I never was!" That last part she stuttered on.

She was lying. She was afraid of Georgia. She was bigger and taller than her and could push her around anytime she pleased. It was bad but when she traveled with her posse it was worse. Way worse. Sometimes Iris didn't want to go to school because of them.

"Hey, she said she didn't want to battle, so leave her alone." Lance defended.

"Stay out of it, prettyboy. It's between me and Little Miss Champion over here." Georgia snorted, "Champion titles shouldn't be given to weaklings."

"I'm not weak!" Iris shot back, clenching her fists.

Lance held onto her shoulders, trying to calm her down. She gritted her teeth once again and her nails dug into the palm of her hand. Another person Iris let get under her skin. She just couldn't win.

"Then what are you waiting on? Your dignity?"

"You want a battle, Georgia? You got one." Iris was angry now. She was provoking her and it was working completely. So Iris threw a pokéball in the air and out came her Haxorus.

" _GROAHHH!"_ The dragon roared into the air and then growled at Georgia.

"Haxorus? Lame." Georgia chuckled, then sent out her Garchomp, "One on one."

"Iris, you're still hurt. Are you sure you want to do this?" Lance asked, concerned.

Iris nodded and said nothing with her eyes focused on Georgia's. Lance stepped back and let her battle. He knew it wasn't right for her to do but he couldn't stop her. He knew how much she had wanted to shut this girl up. So she let her battling do the talking.

"Iris!" Drayden called, running over to her with Clair, "Are you really doing this now?"

"Yes." Iris answered, then held onto her ribcage, cringing in pain once again.

"Iris, you're injured." Clair held onto her.

"Clair, please." Iris' eyes began to water, "Please let me do this."

"Why?"

"Because I need to prove myself, okay?"

"To her? All she is is a gym leader. You're the champion. You win automatically."

"Gym leader?!" Iris and Lance exclaimed, simultaneously.

When had she become a Gym Leader? Clair and Drayden knew but Iris and Lance clearly didn't.

"I resigned." Drayden told them, "She's the new gym leader."

"What?!" Iris could not believe her ears.

By Drayden resigning, he was required to turn the gym over to the next in charge, or the highest ranked student at the Opelucid Academy. It was Iris but Iris was already the Pokémon League Champion. Lance was in Iris' graduating class but he was also a Champion. It couldn't have been given to Clair because in her graduating class, she was the highest ranked and they shipped her to Blackthorn City to take over that gym. So that left Georgia Winters to take over the Opelucid City Gym.

"Exactly." A grin spread across Georgia's face, "So are we going to do this, or not? Or are you going to run home and cry like to Drayden you always do?"

"Alright Georgia, enough!" Drayden snapped.

She might be the new gym leader but there was no way he was letting her trash Iris and think iy was okay.

"She doesn't need to prove anything to you. She's the champion." Clair shot back, protecting her friend.

"But didn't she just lose a battle? Speaking of which, where is that legendary Pokémon everybody was bragging on you about?" Georgia had struck a nerve. She got Iris there.

"I-I-"

"Aren't you a Dragon Buster though?" Clair frowned, "Why do you even care so much about being a Dragon Type gym leader? Do you really hate Iris that bad that you want to beat her at everything?"

"That's what rivals are for." Georgia says in a "duh" tone.

"You...You are far from a rival." Iris glared up at her through tear stained eyes, "The way you tortured me, no. You aren't a rival. You're an enemy."

Quite frankly, Iris was tired of it all. She needed to catch a break.

"Iris, you don't have to prove yourself to her." Lance stood in front of her, intaking the view of the redheaded girl, so that she saw him and only him, "Come on. Just leave her."

"Lance-"

"Look at me, princess." Lance insisted and she did so, looking at him. He wiped her tears away, "Let's go."

Iris pulled out Haxorus' pokéball and returned it. She didn't say anything as she turned to leave with Lance, following Drayden.

"I always knew you were a coward, Iris. It's no surprise." Georgia teased.

"You know what? I'll battle you." Clair stepped up, "Let's go. Me and you. Right now."

"You're going to avenge her?"

"Precisely."

"Excuse me. Are you the gym leader?" A regular kid asked Georgia.

"Yes I am." She answered, "You here to challenge my gym?"

"Yeah."

"Our battle will have to wait, Clarissa."

"It's CLAIR."

"Whatever." She shrugged and followed the kid back to her gym.

 _ **Later...**_

At their place, Iris lay there in her bed, staring up at the ceiling. She was supposed to be getting rest but she just couldn't sleep. All she could think about was her encounter with Georgia earlier and what she had said. She was just done with that girl. She really couldn't stand it when she let her get to her like that.

Iris felt the bed get heavier and she turned around to see Clair sitting there. She sat up, slowly and made eye contact with her. She said nothing and then grabbed the covers, climbing in beside the younger girl. They always used to have sleepovers like this. Clair felt that Iris really needed one just to get her mind off of things.

"You okay, kiddo?" Clair asked, softly.

"No." Iris answers her with a deep sigh.

"You know you shouldn't let her get to you that."

"She's been doing it for ages, Clair. It's nothing new. She always finds a way to make me look like a loser and embarrass me. Physically, mentally... I'm just done with this."

"What did she do to you?"

"She locked me in the closet with an angry Raichu. She gave me wedgies and dunked my head in toilets. All of those horrible things. She just made a way to make my life so bad at the academy. Before you and Lance came, I really considered leaving."

"In a way, we saved you."

"Y-Yeah... you guys are two of the most important people in this world to me. I'm eternally grateful."

"I'm sorry, Iris. If I witnessed any of this I would've immediately helped you."

"I know you would've, Clair."

"You said Druddigon saved you from a swarm of Beedrill?"

"Yeah. I got lost because Georgia was our group leader and I had to use the bathroom and she left me alone..."

"What? How could someone do that to you?"

"I ask myself this all the time. Later I found out that she caused the Beedrill to attack me. I ran out of fear and was cornered by them. Druddigon saved me by using Flamethrower. It was a gift of gratitude for me helping it earlier."

"And it wound up on your doorstep you say?"

"Yeah. I opened the door and there it was. It was holding a pokéball and it let itself inside, like it wanted me to catch it."

"On a bad day you gained a new friend. That's amazing."

"Yeah."

"Georgia is insecure about herself that's probably why she bullies you. The best thing to do is just not let her get to you. Walk away. So what she calls you a coward. That doesn't mean you are. You're far from one. You stand your ground and protect your Pokémon with your life. You have heart, Iris and that's what I admire most about you. I'm proud to call you my best friend."

"Clair that means the world. Thank you." Iris hugged Clair and she hugged back.

Lance watched them from the doorway. He was holding a tray of food for Iris. A small smile spread across his face as he watched the two. They were so close. Clair was like a big sister to her, even more so than a best friend. Her missing sister.

And that's how it was with those three. They grew up like that.


	4. Chapter 4: Iris vs Georgia

_"Iris." A voice says._

 _Iris tossed over and turned in her sleep, sweating, shivering. Her teeth chattered as the cold air came over her arms._

 _"Iris." The voice said again, "Wake up."_

 _The young Unova champion sat up, her exhausted eyes darting around her room. There was some sort of ominous fog all around her., almost suffocating her, but for some strange reason, it wasn't. She couldn't see anything. She felt beside her for Clair but she wasn't there. Something was wrong. Very wrong. Her big maroon eyes scanned her nightstand for her p_ _oké_ _belt only to find out that there was nothing there. That was what caused them to light up in complete and utter trepidation. One of her worst nightmares. Waking up and her_ _Pokémon_ _was nowhere in sight of her._

 _"H-Hello?" She called out._

 _"No need to be frightened." The voice tells her as a dark, shadowy figure appears in front of her, "I'm friendly."_

 _"What? W-Who are you?" Iris shivered, holding her arms._

 _The mysterious figure held out a hand for her to take. Her hand was shaking in a hesitant way but ended up taking the figure's hand. It felt like a human hand, so soft and warm. That gave the figure indication to lead the way out and Iris followed close behind without any questions asked. Her eyes glanced down at the ground, noticing that she was two stories high and then darts back at the person. It turned to her and finally showed it's face. It was a handsome young man, maybe in his late teens at 18 or 19. A hat covered his lime green ponytailed hair and the shadow covered half of his face only to show his gorgeous green eyes and his handsome smile that many found attractive._

 _"Trust me." was all he told her._

 _Iris' head gives a slow nod and she stepped out, following behind the green haired boy. She said nothing and let him lead the way. They were floating in midair and he flew out, holding her hand. It was almost like Peter Pan and Wendy flying to Neverland. The wind flowing through their hair and the oxygen becoming more harder to intake, the higher they went. When N finally decided to stop, they had gotten to a place where it was peaceful and quiet and sat in a tree._

 _"Who are you?" She finally asked him, breaking her silence, "How do you know me?"_

 _"My name is N." He told her, "My father paid you a visit the other day."_

 _"Huh?"_

 _A puzzled look had come across her face as he had finished his sentence. She turned her head to the side the same time her eyebrows began quirking and her nose scrunching up a bit. She hadn't had the slightest idea of what he had meant by that._

 _"Ghetsis is my father." He says, softly._

 _N immediately took back what he had just told her because her eyes bulged and mouth flew open wide. It was almost as if she had wanted to scream but she could not. He hadn't meant to scare her. He just wanted to talk. Now she was starting to panic. Her nerves were rattled up, causing her whole entire body to shake in absolute fear. Before she got up and started to leave, N grabbed her hand and stopped her. He pulled her back to him with a "Wait!"_

 _"L-Look. I don't want any trouble!" Iris threw her small fists up swiftly, as if she were ready to throw a punch. She hadn't had her_ _Pokémon so she had to defend herself in the next possible way she knew how to._ __

 _"I'm not giving you any. I promise." N carefully put up his hands to cover hers in case she would attack him. He didn't want her to feel frightened._

 _What was funny was that Iris somehow believed him. If he really wanted to hurt her, he would've done it already, she thinks. Unlike Ghetsis who will do it either way. She looks back up at him and he let her hands go, slowly._

 _"Why did you bring me here? What do you want from me?"_

 _"I want to help you. I didn't know how to talk to you and I figured coming to your dreams was the best thing so I didn't freak you out on an actual meet up. Sorry if I scared you."_

 _"It's okay."_

 _"Anyways, I know what happened. I want to help you get Zekrom back."_

 _"How do you know?"_

 _"Because he has my Reshiram."_

 _"Why does he have both of them?" Iris' mouth dropped to the ground after hearing that._

 _"He's planning something and I want to know exactly what. I'm not a bad guy. I love Pokémon. They're my friends."_

 _"I do too."_

 _"You and I are a lot alike and I'm sure that's why Ghetsis came after us. That and our legendary Pokémon. He knows how vulnerable we can be and how we aren't afraid to put ourselves before our Pokémon. The strong compassion we feel for them and the connections."_

 _"How do you know that?"_

 _"I challenged you before."_

 _Iris thought long and hard about when she had challenged this young man. It doesn't take long for her to remember a guy with a gray hat and the same lime green hair and eyes she battled months ago. The same description as the boy sitting in front of her. That battle ended in a draw. One of the greatest_ _Pokémon battles she's ever had._ __

 _"It was a draw, correct?"_

 _"Yeah. You're an excellent trainer."_

 _"Same to you." A warm smile spread across Iris' lips, the same time he flashed one over at her. Their eyes met and nothing else was said. Her maroon to his lime green. N knew about the relationship between Lance and her but he just couldn't help but find the girl fairly beautiful. His hand soon covers hers and it grabs her attention. It wasn't too long before he began speaking once again._

" _I can help you, if you help me, Iris." N told her, "Together, we can take down my father and save a lot of people."_

 _"I-I don't know, N…" Iris glanced down at her bare feet, inhaling deeply. Ghetsis really got to her. She doesn't know if she can face him again. She knows what he's capable of._

 _"I understand you're scared and you feel vulnerable, because I do too, but everything will be fine as long as we work together. I believe in us, Iris. Do you?"_

 _"…Y-Yeah I do."_

 _"Then what are we waiting for?"_

 _He's correct. What is she waiting for, she thinks. A little help wouldn't hurt. He's offering free help so there should be no reason not to take it. She isn't alone anymore and she has him to rely on now. Maybe this can be a good thing._

" _Where should we meet up again?" She asks him to be sure._

" _I'll meet you at the entrance of the village tomorrow. Is that okay?"_

 _"Yeah."_

 _"You can leave if you want now."_

 _Her body leans towards him intentionally of course and she brushes her lips against his cheek to give him a warm kiss on the cheek, causing N's cheeks to flush. It was a token of gratitude for the talk they just had. It was very well needed and vice versa._

…

Iris soon wakes up from that strange dream. Her eyes immediately scanned her room once again. The sun shone through the window to designate that it was indeed morning time. The alarm clock on her nightstand confirmed it with the time showing 9:41 a.m. As Iris' stretched her arms outward to yawn, she noticed Clair was not by her side once again. Only this time it was not a dream.

" _She must be downstairs,"_ She thought.

"Hey." She jumped once she heard the male voice beside her. She had almost fell out of her bed. Lance had been there the whole time and she didn't know. He was on the other side of her.

"Hey." Iris breathed, placing a hand over her small chest where her heart was, "You scared me."

"I know. I'm sorry." Lance apologized, "Let me make it up to you."

"You're sweet." Iris smiled and leans over to give him a soft kiss on the cheek.

"I brought you some food."

He held a white paper bag in his hands that smelled really appetizing to one who hadn't eaten for a little bit. He had stopped to get some breakfast for everybody so Clair didn't have to cook.

"Lance…" Iris reached out to hold his hand, lovingly, "Why am I lucky to have you?"

"Because I'm lucky to have you."

Lance climbed up on her bed, Iris pulling him into a soft kiss. He kicked his boots off in the process and settled himself ontop of her. She giggled as his lips came down in deeper contact with her and they were smiling throughout it. He stroked the side of her face, gently and she ran a hand up his arm in return. She caressed his arm through the material of his jacket, feeling his big, bulky muscles. He had been training hard with his Pokemon lately she wasn't complaining at all.

Her ankles met each other as they locked around each other on his back. Her legs were like a pretzel around him and he loved it when she did that. Their bodies were so close that they could feel their own hearts beating against one another in a simultaneous, steady, rhythm. He loved it because it meant she was holding onto him, trusting him with whatever the next step was. It meant she knew he wouldn't hurt a hair on her pretty little head.

"Lance." Iris mumbled against his lips, "I love you." Her hand travels its way his spiky, crimson hair, holding his forehead against hers. They were eye to eye once again. Maroon to Crimson.

"I love you too, Iris." Lance whispers against her soft lips and then took them in between his again. Oh how he loved kissing her. He could kiss her all day if he wanted to or needed.

"Lance." Iris gripped his red hair as he moved behind her ear to plant a soft kiss there. "I-I had a dream…"

"Tell me about it." He mumbled against her ear, taking it in between his teeth.

"There was a boy around our age. He…He's Ghetsis son." Iris looked at him and then he helped her sit up, obviously interested in what she had to say.

"His son?"

"Yeah. He visited me in my dream. He said we needed to talk. He wanted to meet me at the gates of the village today."

"What's his name?"

"N."

"I know him."

"I do too. We had a battle." They both said that last part in unison.

"Woah." Lance sat back and wrapped an arm around Iris.

"He told Reshiram was captured too."

"Well there goes our plan B. How are we supposed to win now?"

"I don't know but he said Ghetsis was after us both for some reason, besides the fact that he was after the two legendary dragons. He doesn't know why but he wants to find answers, and he needs my help."

"Then what are you waiting for?"

"Don't you want to come with me?"

"I do but why ask?"

"I'd be alone with a boy…that isn't you."

"I trust you."

"Oh well okay then. Let's go."

"In your pajamas?"

"Well, I guess I could change first."

"Yeah. Let me step out." Lance blushed and then scurried out of her room. He closed the door behind him and then turned right into Drayden. "Hey, Mr. Drayden. Sir." He cleared his throat. He didn't want to get Iris in trouble for being in her room. She wasn't allowed to have boys in her room, or be alone with one but Drayden made an exception for Lance because he made Iris happy and treated her like royalty.

"Did I tell you why Georgia is the gym leader?" Drayden asked as Lance began to leave. He stopped and then turned to the older man to listen.

"No."

"I resigned to just retire. I've had a successful career in Pokémon, from a champion, to a teacher to at last a gym leader. Well known and powerful might I add. I believed it was time for someone to follow in my footsteps and I couldn't pick Iris because she was already our champion, the head of Unova. Clair could not do it because she already had her job in Blackthorn after graduation. You became a champion like Iris and so the next thing I know, the dean of the Opelucid Academy took their "best student" and placed Georgia as a gym leader."

"I still refuse to believe she's the highest ranked."

"Not in my eyes. Iris is. Not because I raised her, but because I've seen so much in her. What are the odds that you see a 10 year old sharing her lunch with wild Starley and Pidgey? Or healing a an injured wild Druddigon with the right type of healing berries and plants in the wild? She was little and she knew all of that stuff. Nobody in her class knew but her."

"She put her heart into this all. That's what I love about Iris. She's a very selfless and compassionate person."

"She's 16 and all grown up now and not once has her attitude towards Pokémon changed."

"Yeah. I totally agree."

"So do me a favor, Lance. Don't break her. Treat her right. Don't make her question anything about herself like she's been doing these past few days. Make sure she's happy. I trust you."

"You have my word, Drayden."

 _ **BANG! BANG!**_

A few minutes had passed by and loud knock had come from the outside of their front door. Lance had heard it and he made his way downstairs like a man on a mission to answer it. He needed to see if it was that N guy Iris was going on about earlier. If it was him, he was going to let him in so he could meet with her. His hand twists the knob to open the door and his curiosity was quickly shut down, turning into disappointment as Georgia is revealed.

"Her again." Clair says coming up behind Lance.

"I have no challengers right now. Who's going to battle me?" Georgia held her hands out, cockily.

"I am." The two cousins sent their eyes towards where the voice had come from. It was Iris. She and Drayden were coming down the stairs, "You wanted to battle me, then come on." She continued.

"Iris-"

"No Clair." She assured her, "I got this."

"One on one. Choose wisely, Iris." Georgia sneered.

Without saying anything else, Iris' hand reaches for her pokebelt and grabs a pokeball. She then starts on her way to follow Georgia back to the gym. She kept a straight face but deep down inside she was having anxiety. Her small heart pounding irregularly against her chest like a loud drum, her fingers trembling, barely being able to hold her pokeball properly, her lungs acting as if they desperately needed oxygen, her mind going everywhere but in the right place, overwhelming with doubts and insecurities. She was an emotional wreck, deep down inside. She had no idea if she was actually going to win this.

This battle was long overdue. Georgia had been waiting since the day Iris had become champion. She always turned her nose up whenever people praised Iris around campus and talked about how good she was. Georgia was the only one, and her posse of course, who discredited Iris. They always knew she was a fluke. Now it was the time to prove it. So when they got there, they each went to one side of the gym, getting in their places to prepare for battle. The gym filled up quickly and then the cameramen and reporters, called on by Georgia herself. A smirk spread across her face as she watched people come in and take their seats.

"Mitch Mitchell reporting to you live from Opelucid City's Gym! Here we have our Champion of Unova vs the brand new gym leader, Georgia!" The reporter says to the camera.

"You didn't say this would be televised." Iris frowned a little, her eyes observing the gym as well.

"I wanted everybody to witness your defeat. Maybe then I'd be the champion, correct?"

Mind games. A specialty of hers that she liked to play on Iris. Something to throw her off her game. She knew Iris already lost a lot of confidence. Now she was going to keep egging it on.

"Nice try." Iris threw up a pokeball, "Let's go, Haxorus!" Haxorus popped out and roared loudly.

The noisy screams around the gym filled Iris' ears with her name. Her fans were cheering her on, "Iris! We love you Iris!"

In a way it calmed down Iris. To hear people cheering her on helped her out in more ways than one. As her eyelids come into a close, she points her head downward towards the ground, drinking in every single fan's adoration for her. She seemed to have relaxed a little just then. She just needed to get into her comfort zone.

" _Maybe I can win this. Maybe I was destined to."_ She thought.

"Kingdra, let's go!" Georgia sends out her Kingdra.

The giant blue seahorse emerges from the pokeball and let out a low growl at Iris and Haxorus. Haxorus' nostrils flared, extricating black smoke from each one. Iris doesn't hesitate to place her small hand over her giant Pokemon's in an attempt to calm it. A soothing smile makes its way on her lips and Haxorus nodded. They were speaking to each other, without speaking to each other. The dynamic duo understood what the other was saying without a single word being said. It was the body language that spoke for them.

Clyde the gym guide begins tying his bowtie while his eyes were observing the battlefield in front of him. He was happy to see Iris back home in the gym where she started at, but he was unhappy to see Georgia doing this just to publicly embarrass the younger girl. He was even more unhappy to say these next few words, hating that those were the rules,

"This will be a one on one battle. The first pokemon that faints, the battle is over and it is victory for said trainer. If Georgia wins, she's automatically the new champion. If Iris wins she remains the champion. That sound good?"

"Clyde, are you serious?!" Iris could not believe what was going through her ears. Was her job really on the line? Or was it some sort of trickery by Georgia to throw her off? "I never agreed to any of this. I refuse to step down because of this nonsense!"

It didn't make any sense. Alder lost more than once and he was not required to step down so why was Iris? The Pokemon League officials never contacted her about this to talk to her and they always talk to her.

"You gonna cry about it, little baby? Aweee." Georgia taunted.

"Ooooh." Half of the audience says in unison, the other half of the gym had grown deadly silent.

 _"Iris, it's time to step up."_ Iris thought as she took a deep breath, _"You can't let her walk all over you and think it's okay. It's time to get her to leave you alone. It's to prove yourself. You can win this."_

It was almost as if a cool breeze had hit Iris, her nerves causing her entire body to start shaking like a loose tree branch on a windy day. She throws her cape over her shoulders to somewhat warm her for now then heads over to Haxorus. She pressed her forehead against it's and looked her dead in the eyes. Her maroon to her fiery, fierce red orbs.

"Whatever happens today, happens. I want you to know if we step down from being champions, that will never change my view on how amazing you are. You're my champion. I love you, Drago. Do your very best. No matter the outcome, I'll still be proud."

Haxorus threw its arms around Iris' small body for a hug and then nodded in understanding. It responded with, "Haxor. Haxorus." in translation to: _"I won't let you down, Iris."_

"You're messing with a champion. There's consequences for that. They call us champions for a reason!" Iris spat, angrily, "We're taking the first move!"

"Let the match begin!" The announcer announced into the megaphone speakers surrounding the gym.

"Haxorus use Dragon Dance!" Iris instructed.

Haxorus obeyed its trainer, a powerful red and black vortex of some sort spiraling like a tornado around it. It's eyes flashed a bright red and roared out loud, earning cheers from Iris' fans in the audience. It performed a mystic, powerful dance, hopping from one foot to the other. It caused the ground under it to crumble and shake. Its Attack and Speed were increasing as the fierce beast did its dance.

"That the best you can do, Iris? They call you champions so you can mess around for a few cheers?" Georgia let out a laugh in an attempt to tease her, "It's your loss then. Kingdra use Ice Beam!" She demanded.

Georgia's Kingdra built up bright blue beam from it's hose shaped mouth, ready to fire at its targets. Haxorus' eyes squinted and growled in response to it. Kingdra, clearly upset by Haxorus' taunting, fired the icy cold beam right in its direction with no questions asked.

"If Haxorus takes this hit head on, it'll be a one hit KO! What will Iris and Haxorus do?" The announcer states, his voice filling with anticipation.

Oh no.

Iris watched the beam shoot straight towards them head on and had not yelled a single command at her Pokemon to dodge or counter it. She just stood there, patiently waiting on the ice beam to hit them. At that moment when it was too late to dodge, the sounds of her fans voices filled her ears, yelling at her to do something because they did not want her to lose. She even heard Lance and Clair's voices telling her to counter it.

But she didn't.

Instead she toned everything out, her ears hearing nothing but pure silence, kind of like test day back at the academy. Her eyes saw nothing but pure darkness. She saw what a blind person would see and heard what a deaf one would hear. Nothing. It was her way of concentrating. Her arms felt as if they were frozen solid and she couldn't feel her legs, hence why they had given out. It was almost as if she had taken the ice beam for her Pokémon. But she didn't. It simply _missed._

The ice beam _missed._

As a white, foggy mist covered Iris and Haxorus' side of the battlefield after the impact from the beam, the fans all gasped in horror. _'Did they get hit?'_ was the question that spread across the entire gym. Sweat poured down the side of Georgia's head as she awaited for the mist to clear. The excitement was killing her. She needed to know if she had won or not. Within seconds, the mist cleared and Iris was there, kneeling down on bended knee, gripping the floor, but here Haxorus was nowhere to be found.

"Haxorus? Where is it?" The announcer looked around and so did the fans, "Did Iris take the hit for her Pokémon?"

"Stop playing games, Masters. Where the heck is that weak dragon?" Georgia asks, clearly still shocked by the outcome.

The young champion looks up at her opponent with a smile on her face, that irritated Georgia. Why had she had a smile on her face? What was she pulling exactly?

"You never be patient, do you Georgia?" Her voice came out strong and assertive. She even laughed a little.

"What's funny?" The redhead hissed at her.

"Now Haxorus!" Iris commanded.

As the Pokémon's name comes from her lips, The ground around Georgia's side of the field began to shake violently. She could barely keep her balance. In fact all her eyes could make out was a large dragon come blasting up from the ground headfirst, knocking her Pokémon back off its feet. It hid underground during the ice beam attack, using Dig. It took a real nice chunk out of Kingdra's HP, according to the jumbotron.

"Woaaahhhh! Haxorus had been hiding underground with its Dig attack! What a smart Pokémon!" The announcer applauds it, followed up by Iris' fans.

"Now use Draco Meteor!" Iris instructed.

Haxorus obeyed her orders and pointed its head in the air, "Haxooooorrrr..." It began charging up a red energy ball in its tusks. It made deadly eye contact with its foe. The energy ball shot straight into the air towards the ceiling. _**BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!**_ It came shooting right back down in several different beams all around Georgia's side of the battlefield, striking her Kingdra in the process.

Super effective. The jumbotron showed Kingdra's HP decrease drastically, turning from green to yellow. Haxorus still had been in the green and had the upper hand.

"Uh oh. It seems as if Georgia and Kingdra might be in trouble. What could they possibly have up their sleeve against the Unova Champion?" The announcer's tone was filled with suspense as he watched this battle from afar.

The dust from the ground was now in the atmosphere, suffocating Georgia. She brings her clothed hand up to her mouth and basically coughed her lungs out. Her vision was becoming weak as she desperately tried to see. She tossed her arm up to cover her eyes out of pure frustration. "Argh!" Georgia let out a angry, "Kingdra show these amaeturs how we do it in my gym! Take em out with Ice Beam!"

Kingdra was a little slow to respond at first, due to being low on HP, but it gained as much speed as it could. The seadragon wanted nothing more than a win against this giant beast in front of it. It wasn't giving up that easily. A bright blue beam built up in its mouth like before and instead of waiting, like before, it switched up and shot it at a dangerously high amount of speed. Haxorus' eyes grew wide once it noticed how fast the beam was coming, so it put up its giant arms up in a form of defense...but it didn't work.

It had actually got an Ice Beam through this time.

Iris seen it. Her small mouth flew open wide and her face went pale. She absentmindedly threw her hands up to her mouth, covering it. Either the ice beam had frozen her feet or she had gotten cold feet from the state of shock she had just entered. She watched the ice beam blow Haxorus off it's feet and skid against the ground back to Iris.

Georgia let out a hearty laugh as Iris collapsed to her knees in a defeated manner. But she wasn't ready to throw in the towel.

"Haxorus!" Iris desperately shook the giant dragon, trying to get it to respond, "Haxorus, get up! Come on! Get up!"

"Is Haxorus down for the count?" The announcer gasped at that.

The entire gym was silent once again.

Haxorus' HP was even lower than Kingdra's at red health, so now Georgia had the upper hand and the advantage.

Haxorus managed to get out a faint groan and struggled to get up. Iris puts her hand out for the Pokemon and gives it a soothing smile. It returns a smile, a weak one and takes Iris' hand so she could help her stand, properly. It was injured pretty badly but it wasn't going to give in. It was hanging on for dear life using its Focus Sash.

"H-H-Hax… Haxor…" Haxorus panted. It was out of breath. It didn't matter if it was one attack. One attack could be a one hit knockout depending on the accuracy.

"Oh no." Iris whispered, dangling her head.

"Give up now, Iris. You're going to lose." Georgia taunted once more.

 _"Iris."_ A voice began to speak to her. Iris' eyes traveled around the gym out of pure confusion. She heard it again but discovered that nobody was there. She heard the voice call her one last time, _"Iris."_

A familiar voice. A voice she knew but could not quite put her finger on it.

 _"N?"_ She thought to herself, _"How are we talking right now?"_

 _"Telekinesis through my Starmie. It's okay. No need to be afraid."_

 _"N, where are you?"_

 _"Look up."_ Iris' eyes then traveled upward, causing her to see N at the top deck, standing alone with his Starmie. It was a staredown between the two teenagers, N being the first to wave. A gentle smile formed across his lips and he tells her, _"Win this battle. I believe in you."_

 _"But Haxorus isn't looking too good. I don't want her to be hurt anymore."_

 _"Do you believe in her?"_

 _"Yes."_

 _"Then that's all you need. Hope. Faith. You can win this. Trust me."_

 _"Thank you."_ That was much needed and she was eternally grateful for N coming through for her at that moment. Iris beams at him and gives her full, undivided attention back to her battle. Haxorus was now fully standing on its own, despite being hurt. It was ready to continue.

Lance observed Iris carefully when looked up so that he was now looking at the young. lime green, long haired trainer with the hat covering his head.

" _Was this N?"_ He thought. N peeped over in his direction and they made immediate eye contact. This was all too weird.

The match continued when Haxorus built up energy in it's mouth and shot it in Kingdra's direction. A nice and Dragon Pulse. Kingdra countered with Ice Beam and the two energy beams met in the middle, creating a blinding light. It was equal. The beams pushed at each other, once going Georgia's way, then pushing back towards Iris. The wind picked up speed around Haxorus and it was easily being pushed backwards due to its injuries. The giant Pokemon dropped down on bended knee, but not once stopped firing its powerful beam in its defense.

"You're losing, Masters!" Georgia shouted.

"We're not conceding until the very end!" Iris responded.

Haxorus dug its foot into the ground to literally stand it's ground so it wouldn't fall out. It had done the same with its claw, still holding on strong with its Dragon Pulse.

"KINGDRA, END IT NOW!" Georgia shouted at the tired seadragon.

"You can do this, Haxorus! I believe in you…" Iris said that last part quietly. Her eyelids come into contact with one another once more as she prepares herself for the outcome.

Haxorus had somehow heard her last sentence and all of a sudden gained the right power, forcing out large waves into its Dragon Pulse. It was the power of friendship and the bond that Iris held with her that gave her the power to finish the job. The powerful Dragon Pulse easily and finally outdid the Ice Beam and then knocked Kingdra back to the ground where it fell unconscious. Georgia stood still, her feet now growing cold. Her heart dropped to the ground harder than her Pokemon had.

She was undefeated no more because Kingdra was down for the count.

"Kingdra is unable to battle!" The announcer's tone was excited as he reported everything to the fans in the gym, "That means Champion Iris and her Haxorus are the clear winners here! Congratulations!"

Iris' heart filled with excitement and she sprang into Haxorus' arms. It caught her mid air, giving her a really big hug. It licked her face all over and she laughed then pressed her forehead against its own.

"I told you we could do it." Iris rubbed the back of it's neck.

"Haxor…" It cooed, then hugged the young champion, lovingly.

Iris and Haxorus, the dynamic duo.

"I guess I underestimated you." Georgia states from behind them both, "I'm sorry."

"Sorry for what?" Iris questioned, jumping to the ground to meet her.

"For making fun of you and torturing you. I thought it was cool to make me look tough but I guess not. A lot of years passed and Iris you've grown up. You're not that same kid anymore."

"You know what…" Iris held her hand out, "I forgive you. I should hate your guts right now but I don't. Yes Georgia, you teased me, knocked me around, tortured me. I hated coming to school, but I somehow grew stronger because of it. You did the unthinkable and I thought you hated me."

"I thought you hated me." Georgia shook her hand, slowly and confused.

"I don't. I don't hate anybody. I accept your apology. It's only right." Iris gave her a smile, "Good luck to you and this gym."

"Thank you so much." She responded with a smile.

"Iris!" Clair beat Lance in a race to hug the smaller girl and lifted the smaller girl up, excitedly. "You won!"

"Of course she did. It's not a surprise." Lance stated in an overconfident manner, joining in on their hug.

"That was amazing." A voice behind them said.

They all turned to the person who said that. The tall, lime green haired boy with the hat. N. He sends Iris a grin and she returns one with a "Thank you." escaping her lips.

"I'm N." He introduced himself.

"Nice to see you again." Iris shook his hand and he blushed at that little hand touch they had. He mighta-sorta-kinda had a crush on her.

"I knew you could do it." He was so softspoken and quiet. He was cute too, Iris thought that to herself.

"Lance." Lance held his hand out and N shook it in a respective manner. The same went for Clair as they shook hands.

"Shall we take a step outside?" N suggested.

"Lead the way." Iris told him and he did so.

Now was time for the Iris-N meetup so they could figure out how to save their Pokémon.

Meanwhile in the stands, there sat Team Plasma executives who were watching this all go down and reporting Ghetsis via headset. They quickly moved, placing their hoods on their heads and followed the gang, hiding in the shadows... 


	5. Chapter 5

Iris invited N over and they had a late breakfast altogether as a group. Iris even invited Georgia, despite the years and years of torture she's put her through. Her she was sitting at the table next to Iris, eating with her…family.

Haxorus was outside of it's pokeball and Iris fed her. It snuggled up against her and licked her making her laugh softly.

"Haxor…" It smiled at her, resting its head on hers.

N watched Iris and Haxorus. It reminded him so much of him and his Zoroark. A close bond. Like she had raised it from an Axew, and being the first Pokémon she ever had, it was the same for him as when Zoroark was a Zorua.

"How long have you had her?" N asked, curiously.

"Since I was five." Iris answered, proudly, "She's a big girl now."

"Is it really hard taming dragons?" He asked the table.

"Yes. It is." They all answer in unison.

"It's harder than the regular average Pokémon. Then training to a certain level to evolve. It took Haxorus a while to get where she is but all of the training was worth every minute." Iris rubbed her Pokémon's head, softly.

Haxorus wrapped its arms around Iris' placing the girl in it's lap. She smiled and then went on about the wonders of taming dragons. She'd learned a whole lot. Drayden was listening as well. It made him happy to hear how much she knew. She was incredibly smart for her age.

"You are very wellspoken." N commented, "and intelligent might I add."

"Oh. Well thanks." Iris' face turned a bright red and she began to blush.

Lance watched the two closely and then looked at Clair who was smiling her head off. She was teasing Lance inside her mind. Iris looked over at Lance and then placed a hand over his. His lips curved into a smile and he was alright again. He wanted some Iris loving as well.

"N, so…what's going on?" She started a new conversation, "How do we handle this?"

"Well, he has all three of the Tao Trio, which is bad, but we have a way of winning."

"N, I have a question." Iris was afraid to ask. She looked at him and then cleared her throat, speaking up, "He said he knows everything about me, meaning he has been watching me. Why me? He said something that happened way before I caught Zekrom."

"What did he say?" Lance asked, concerned.

"I sent out the Extremespeed Dragonite and he said was it the one that you got me for my birthday, Lance. How did he know that? He's been keeping tabs on me even before I caught Zekrom.'

"Iris, I gave you that Pokémon when we were…what, 12 and 13? That was like four years ago." Lance frowned at that, "He couldn't have possibly been watching you all this time, could he?"

"I don't know. It's scary." Iris tightened her grip on his hand.

"When I lead Team Plasma, you were nowhere on our list of people to watch. Not that I know of." N looked down in his hands, "Wait, but there was this one time where Ghetsis was working on something with a few grunts but he wouldn't tell me about it. He told me it was none of my concern and that I was just a child and I didn't understand."

"Maybe that was it." Clair pointed out, "Dear Arceus, what does he want with Iris?"

Iris tensed up and Haxorus rubbed her arm, softly, resting it's chin on her head. It hated when she stressed. She smiled upwards at it and snuggled even closer into it, if that were possible.

"Hax." It mumbled, running a claw through her deep purple hair, stroking it. Lance sat beside the small girl, taking his cape off and wrapping it around her shoulders. She smiled and rested her head on his broad shoulder. Haxorus smiled down at the lovely couple and wrapped both arms around them.

"How long have you two been together?" N asked, curiously.

"A few years. Four to be exact." Lance answered.

"So you've been here to Unova, has Iris been to Johto?"

"Yeah. I've trained there for a few months to prepare myself for the champion position." Iris replied.

It was small chats like this, exchanging across the table and Lance and Iris sat cuddled up under her Haxorus for the remainder of the time. Then N was on his way, Iris walking him out.

"You sure you won't stay?" Iris asked, "We have plenty of room."

"I'll be fine. I promise." He placed his hands on her shoulders, "but I need you to promise me something." Iris looked up at him and he spoke again, "Stay safe."

Iris covered one of his hands with hers, "I promise."

"Isn't this sweet?" Two hoodlums walked up to them.

Iris and N turned to them, quickly, reaching for their pokeballs.

"Ah. Ah. Ah." They both pulled out whips and aimed them at the two heroes, each getting constricted onto one. They turned it on and it began to electrocute them.

Iris and N both let out screams of horror. The painful shock was like taking a direct hit of Zekrom's Fusion Bolt. Actually, it was. It was Zekrom's drained energy that they were wasting. It was a scale from 1-5. It was on 1 and they were in excruciating pain.

"Stop! Stop! Turn it off!" Iris screamed, trying to get out of it.

"Turn it up? Sure." The thug that was holding Iris turned hers up to level 2 and Iris' screams grew louder than ever. Tears flowing from her eyes like a river.

"Arrgh! Release us at once! I am your leader! Not Ghetsis! Are you insane?! How dare you!" N shouted, angrily, "Do you hear me, grunts?!"

N had to say anything to get out if this. These weren't his grunts though, because the Team Plasma he lead disbanded to Hilda two years ago. These were the Neo-Plasma Grunts. Or rather executives.

"We don't listen to traitors, N." They laughed, evilly.

Iris fell to her knees, her nails digging into the soil. She was shaking all over, violent sobs escaping her lips. She was pleading, begging them to turn it off.

"Iris!" Lance shouted and the Neo Plasma Executives turned to the redheaded Dragon Master. He threw a pokeball and sent out his level 76, adamant natured Salamence.

They took off their hoods and N immediately recognized them. Anthea and Concordia. His sisters. Their eyes were of a different color. Were they being hypnotized? They sent out a Samurott and a Serperior.

"End him." They referred to Lance who was battle ready.

"Lance, save them! I got this!" Clair insisted, throwing a pokeball. Out popped her shiny Druddigon she caught back in the Decolore Islands cave.

Lance looked at his cousin dead in the eyes, his crimson to her sky blue. They gave each other a nod and he ran to Iris, first, who was on the ground, the blue volts still shocking her.

"I'm gonna get you out, I promise, princess." Lance told her, not that she could hear him over her screeches and cries of pain.

"Boyfriend to the rescue?" Anthea laughed, mocking him.

"Let them out and we'll settle this in a battle!" He snarled, angrily.

"You're on, Lancey." Concordia cooed.

They shut the devices off and Iris collapsed into Lance's arms, semiconsciously. She shook, shutting her eyes at the pain. Her body was covered in dark bruises and her clothes were ripped up and ragged. Lance set her down beside N. He was okay, but Iris was worse off than he was.

"Go. I got her." N commanded.

Georgia made her way over to N and Iris as Drayden stayed on Clair's side, sending out his Garchomp, ready to battle. Iris' Haxorus let itself out of it's pokeball and roared loudly and angrily. It's owner was hurt. Now it wanted to avenge her.

"HAXORRRR! GROOOOHHHHH!" Haxorus was shouting all out into the atmosphere.

It was being sent into a rage.

"We're outnumbered. It's time to retreat." Anthea looked all around.

"Not a chance. You're not leaving. You hurt the wroooong people." Drayden growled, "That is my DAUGHTER!"

"N is my son." A voice behind N, Iris, and Georgia stated.

Ghetsis.

"What do you want from us? You can't possibly do anything else." N stood, struggling to and held Iris in his arms, bridal style. She was so close to losing consciousness. She wanted to. She was in so much pain. Lance helped him out by taking Iris in his own arms, and he was now face to face with Ghetsis just like him.

"I wanna battle you." Lance spat.

"If I were you I'd back down. Iris already told you what I'm capable of. Don't even try to be a hero, Lancey." He mocked, "Black Kyurem would crush you. Speaking of which, Iris. Zekrom says hello."

"You drained it's energy didn't you?" N looked down at his own ripped up and ragged clothes and dark bruises, "and you used it on us…"

"You are correct, son."

"N-No…" Iris began sobbing quietly.

Haxorus opened it's mouth wide and spat out a powerful beam right at Ghetsis, knocking him off his feet. He flew back to the ground, skidding against it. He quickly shot up, glaring at the Pokémon that attacked him. It roared out of rage and began to charge at him.

"I don't think so." He used one of the whip devices, wrapping it around the angry Pokémon. It struggled to get out of the thick, metal rope. Once Ghetsis turned it on, the Pokémon was roaring loudly in pain.

"HAXORUS!" Iris cried, jumping out of Lance's arms, only to stumble. She put one hand out, reaching for it.

"This is such a sad sight to see." Ghetsis cackled.

Another beam came his way and then knocked him off his feet once again. It came from behind them. Lance turned to see his Salamance. It was ready to blast him again and Lance put his hand up as a signal to stop. It obeyed him and then came their way, noticing the screeching Haxorus. It broke the device off with its claws, shutting it down.

"Good boy." Lance rubbed it's head.

"Drago…" Iris crawled to her Pokémon, placing a hand over it's. The two of them passed out and it was immediate deja vu, just like back in her room at the Pokémon League.

"I suggest you accept my request. I'm not playing around." Lance demanded.

"Fine boy. We'll battle, but you'll regret it." Ghetsis reached for his belt and threw out Kyurem's Pokeball.

Out popped Black Kyurem.

Drayden put Haxorus back in it's pokeball and then picked Iris up in his arms. Georgia took her and scurried back with Clair, who had won against the two Neo Plasma sisters.

Lance put a stone in his gray wristband and Salamence started to react to it. The stone, or rather, Salamencite, glowed and then Salamence lit up as if it were about to evolve. It was about to evolve…into it's mega form. The dragon type came out, looking talker and it roared out loudly.

Mega evolution.

"What is this?" Ghetsis observed Salamence, "A mega evolution?"

"Enough talk! Let's end this!"

"Lance, are you sure you want to do this?" N warned him.

"Yes. I'm sure."

Drayden was next to Lance now with his Mega Garchomp. He was ready for battle as well. Ghetsis sent out his Hydreigon to make it an even matched double battle.

"N, take care of Iris." Drayden insisted, "Keep her safe in that house and do not come out."

N nodded and made his way towards the house, trying to ignore the pain. He turned around to see his sisters staring at him, then Ghetsis as well. He was the only good one in his family and it was sad. He put his head down, and closed the door behind him.

"Is Iris okay? G-Gah!" N stumbled to his knees, holding his arm. Clair came to his aid, helping him.

"Are you okay?" She asked, taking him by the shoulder.

"I-I'll be alright." N coughed, taking a seat, "I've taken electroshocks before."

"From a legendary Pokémon? Because he said that was Zekrom's energy. You could tell by the blue volts." She pointed out.

"No not from legendary Pokémon. I've had similar but I'll live."

"What about Iris?" Georgia asked, worriedly, "She's in really bad shape. I…I hate seeing her like this. I know I'm not one to talk because I've made everything bad for her…"

"You didn't do anything so don't worry. You've made things right and Iris forgave you." Clair told her, putting a hand over hers.

"Salamence use Flamethrower!" They heard Lance from the inside. N went to the window and watched the heated battle go down as Lance's Mega Salamence got a direct hit on Black Kyurem. It roared in pain and then knocked Salamance back. It flew back into Lance and they hit the ground hard.

Lance lay there on the ground in pain, shutting his eyes, struggling to sit up. Salamance put its head on the ground, helping Lance climb onto it. He got on his neck and the dragon flapped it's wings, elevating into the air.

"Fusion Bolt! END HIM!" Ghetsis shouted angrily.

He was growing annoyed of Lance because his hits were actually coming through and Kyruem's HP was going down. Maybe they didn't need a Pokémon to beat it.

"Salamence!" Lance took a grip on it as it braced itself and flew out of the way of the blast. It's wing got hit and it knocked it back down to the ground this time…for good.

It fainted.

"Salamence!" Lance cried out.

"GROAAAHHHH!" Black Kyurem roared at the sky and then hit Mega Garchomp with it's tail, knocking it back into Drayden. They both hit the ground hard and were knocked out, cold.

Lance struggled to get away as Black Kyurem made it's way towards him. It loomed over him, taking in his sunlight. It picked him up in it's large hand, roaring in his face.

"Sparky, I know you're still in there!" Lance exclaimed, looking the Pokémon in the eyes, "It's me! It's Lance!"

"Don't try to talk your way out of this now, boy." Ghetsis burst into endless laughter, "Sparky" is no more."

"Sparky, don't do this. It's me. Please." Lance touched it's face, rubbing a bruise on it. It had been burned. "I'm your friend."

It let out a low growl, cringing at the burn mark. Lance squeezed a hand down between it's hand and his body for his pocket. In it was a bottle of medicine. A Full Heal to be exact. He sprayed it all over the wound, his hand shaking of nervousness, praying to Arceus that this would work…

"It's okay. I'm sorry I hurt you, alright? I miss you buddy." Lance says, softly, "We want you back here. We're trying to free you."

The Zekrom half of Kyurem was listening to him. It was calming down, until it felt pain on it's neck, and began roaring angrily again. Lance's attention was turned to the static that was coming from it's neck. It was a device wrapped around it. The big P logo gave it away that Ghetsis and his executives had something to do with this.

Black Kyurem tossed Lance and he landed on the ground, hard, next to Drayden. He hit his head. Blood trickled down the side of his forehead and his vision was becoming blurry.

"End them now, Kyurem!" Ghetsis demanded as the Pokémon began to gather up a powerful Dragon Pulse.

"SPARKY DON'T!"

Lance, Ghetsis, Concordia, and Anthea all turned their attention towards the voice who said that. Iris. Her hair was all out of place, clothes ragged up and holy, struggling to stand. She knew Lance and Drayden were in trouble and she knew she was hurt but she had to save them. Clair stood there by her side, helping her stand.

"We're your family. Please we love you." Iris shielded Drayden and Lance, "We won't hurt you. Please."

"Iris, you actually aren't stupid enough to take a hit from this Pokémon, are you?" Ghetsis asks, "impressed" by her bravery.

"Ghetsis, why? Why would you do this? Why do you hate me so much to put me through this much? I've had enough, o-okay? Please." Iris was crying now.

"Have you always wondered where you wanted to come from, my dear Iris?" Ghetsis stepped closer and closer to her. He lifted her chin and she looked him dead in the eyes, "Your eyes are just like hers…God. So pretty." He wiped her tears away to get a closer look into them, "Maroon. So sweet and delicate."

"Don't touch her." Clair slapped his hand away and he growled in her direction.

"Where do I come from?" Iris asked, quietly.

"Your mother was a nice woman. I loved her. We were together for awhile. She was the love of my life She died giving birth to you."

"No…N-No! No! No you can't be!" Iris began freaking out.

"I'm afraid I am." Ghetsis put a hand on her shoulder, "I'm your Dad, Iris."

Oh my Arceus.


	6. Chapter 6

"Y-You can't be. You just can't!" Iris shook her head, not wanting to believe it.

"Remember when you were seven and you went missing? The whole Opelucid Police Force had a search team just to find you. Drayden was going nuts. I know you remember that." Ghetsis lifted her chin, Iris jerking away from him.

"I don't believe you." Iris whispered, hanging her head, dejectedly.

"Remember when I told you not to tell anyone about that and just to pretend you had gotten lost in the woods?" He knelt in front of her, getting to her height, "Remember how afraid you were of me?"

"Stop." Iris covered her ears, not wanting to hear anymore. Clair took charge of this, holding the smaller girl closer to her, protectively.

"And I promised you I wouldn't hurt you unless you misbehaved…" He added, continuing on with what he had to say to her, "Your mother snuck around just to see me. All my life I've been like this. She's the only person who made me happy. Then she died giving birth to our child. I left you because you don't deserve someone like me to take care of you, Iris. You deserve better."

Iris looked up, slowly, then started to listen.

"I have to do this to you, Iris. I have to make it like this for you because I'm afraid of loving again. I can't love you. I should but I can't. I always lose the ones I love. Look at you. The princess of Unova. The champion. A whole region of people look to you. If I had raised you, you'd be destroying it. You're better off without me. You're a good girl and I'm a bad guy and this is how it will always be."

"I…"

"And you're going to stop me. You know what I'm capable of here. I will hurt you and not hold back."

"T-This isn't a game!" Iris hiccupped through sobs, wiping her face, "You can't just play with my life like this!"

"Very well." Ghetsis smiled now. His fist thrusted forward and slammed into her stomach. Iris collapsed to her knees, gasping for air. "Stubborn, just like Marissa." He grabbed her by the shirt, pulling her face to face with him.

"Let her go!" Clair jumped on his back, pulling him down.

"Foolish girl." Ghetsis growled, trying to shake Clair off of him.

"I refuse to accept it. I can't. You aren't my dad." Iris shivered, uncomfortably.

She felt hands behind her on her shoulders. There stood an injured Drayden. He rubbed her shoulders, kissing the top of her head. Then he held her hand, like a real father would.

"Drayden? I-Is it true?" Iris asked, squeezing his hand.

"I didn't want you to find out this way. I didn't know he was the one who kidnapped you when you were little. I would've immediately come to save you, Iris." Drayden groaned, grasping his ribcage and Iris held onto him, helping him stand.

"I told you." Ghetsis chuckled.

"Shut up." Clair snapped at him, finally releasing him. She got in his face, ready to kill him herself, "Why do you continuously continue to hurt her?!"

"This is none of your concern, my dear. Fall back." He cleared his throat, "I've watched her grow from a distance. When she got her first Pokémon, first went to school, first birthday, first boyfriend, her first time…" Ghetsis' eyes met Iris' and her cheeks flushed and her mouth dropped in shock.

Okay maybe I lied a little. They did go all the way a few times. I'll explain soon.

"You're sick." Clair growled, "Iris hasn't even-"

"I guess she doesn't tell you everything like you think she does, huh Clair?"

Clair turned to Iris who was dead silent and putting her head down in shame. Drayden was a little disappointed about hearing that from him and not her or Lance. Lance was sitting back, quietly and immediately when Clair looked in his direction, he hid his face because he knew he was in trouble.

"I've watched it from a distance and I will continue to watch it from a distance. I will leave you all now since this battle is clearly over and I will give you a chance to come get your precious "Sparky" back, but it won't be easy." He tugged Iris' chin forward, one last time, making her look him in the eyes, "And if you fail…" He chose not to finish that and just stepped away from her.

Then they all disappeared. Anthea, Concordia, Ghetsis and Black Kyurem. Gone. Just like that.

"Drayden. Clair. I-I-"

"It's okay, Iris." Clair says, softly, "Everyone falls in love at some point, and then they show each other how much they love each other, it's nothing new. Don't worry about it."

"But you should've told me. Both of you." Drayden sighed, "I shouldn't have had to hear it from him."

"Is everyone alright?" N asked, cautiously.

"We will be." Lance held his head, then laid back on the grass. Iris sat beside him and then rested her head on his shoulder. She was upset and she really needed him.

"Iris, I'm so sorry." N apologized, "I really had no idea-"

"Don't worry about it, N." Iris sighed in a depressed manner, "I just…I don't want to talk about it anymore."

"I was going to tell you soon, I hope you know that, Iris." Drayden helped her up and took her by the hand, leading the way inside, "It was only a matter of time."

"Iris?" Georgia caught up to her, "I didn't know what kinds of things you were going through and I should've just been your friend. I really feel awful."

"It's okay. I promise." Iris answers without looking back at Georgia.

"Iris…" Clair put a hand on her shoulder, "What happened when he had you for all of that time?"

Iris tensed up, a shiver escaping her lips. She was growing uncomfortable from talking about it. She was only seven when she was taken. It felt like forever but it was just a few hours to days…  
 _  
She remembers the cold cell he held her in. She kept Axew in her hair to keep it warm due to it disliking the cold. She kept promising it that she'd find a way out of there and she hugged her knees, burying her face in her lap. All she could do was cry and pray to Arceus that she would survive that place and make it back home to Drayden. She was so terrified of the man that grabbed her._

 _"Iris…" His voice trailed around the cell and all she could do was cover her ears. Even if he hadn't hurt her, his voice was torturing enough. He was teasing her._

 _"Please." She whimpered. Axew snuggled closer to her, trying to calm her down._

 _"There you are." He opened the cell, stepping over to her, taking in the only light she had, "How are you feeling, child?"_

 _Iris didn't answer. She just looked up at him, fearfully with tear stains in her eyes. He wiped them away and planted a kiss on her forehead. Axew popped out and gained his attention. He looked at it with a wicked smile coming across his face._

 _"You have a Pokémon. How cute." He goes to pet it but it growled at him, trying to bite him._

 _Ghetsis let out a loud chuckle, then he scooted closer to Iris and she scooted back towards the wall, trying to get as far away from him as possible._

 _"Do you know who I am, Iris?"_

 _Iris shook her head and then turned away._

 _"You'll find out soon enough."_

 _"Please let me go. I-I wanna go home…" Iris started to cry again._

 _"I'll let you go…if…"_

 _Iris had a confused look on her face. He pulled out a photo from his coat and showed it to her. It was a picture of a woman who looked just like her, just older. Maybe in her late 20s. Same deep raven purple hair, maroon colored eyes, beautiful brown skin. She looked like a model._

 _"W-Who is that lady?" She asked, confused, "She looks like me."_

 _"Your mother, Iris. Your mother Marissa."_

 _"My mother? I don't have one. Just a dad."_

 _"Really?"_

 _"I don't call him my dad I just call him Mr. Drayden."_

 _"Interesting. Has he told you you're adopted?"_

 _"I know that but I don't know what it means."_

 _"So innocent." He rubbed the side of her face, caressing it, running some fingers through her long hair._

 _Iris didn't know any better. She was only seven. Adopted dad isn't something every little kid knows._

 _"What do you want with me?"_

 _"Come here." He insists, pulling her by the arm. She starts to resist him, trying to pull away from him. "Come here, child." He grew frustrated of her trying to get free of him._

 _"Stop it!" She cried as he grabbed her by the waist, "Please stop!"_

 _"I'm not going to hurt you but if you continue to be difficult you will experience a world of it." He growled in her ear._

 _Iris nodded, quickly and let go of his hand. His smile spread across his face and he sat her on his lap, petting her head, running his fingers through her long purple hair._

 _"Do boys fight over you? You're a really pretty little girl."_

 _"N-No…" She says, shakily._

 _"Have you ever had your first kiss, my dear?"_

 _"I-I'm only seven."_

 _"Yeah?" He planted a kiss on her temple, running his cold hand across her thigh. She shivered and grabbed it as a reflex._

 _"Please." Iris whispered, shutting her eyes tight._

 _"You're going to grow up and become a strong Pokémon trainer, my dear Iris."_

 _"I'm a loser. No I'm not…" Iris turned away, blinking back more tears._

 _"Yes you are. I know you are." He lifted her chin to look him in the eyes, "Trust me."_

 _Iris said nothing and then scrambled away from him, sitting in the corner again._

 _"Has your dad ever told you…" He loomed over her, taking his overcoat off, "That some thing's are good and bad to do?"_

 _"Wh-What are you-"_

 _"You're cold, are you not?" He placed it on her shoulders._

 _Iris reached in her hair and pulled Axew out, wrapping it in her arms with the coat. It was shivering. She put all the warmth she could on it, even if it was taking it away from her._

 _Ghetsis smiled down at the pair and then wrapped his arms around Iris, warming her up. She tensed up and shut her eyes. She really didn't want to snuggle up to him but she had to to save Axew. It was getting sick._

 _"Axew is getting sick. Can you p-please turn the heat up, mister?"_

 _"Colress!" Ghetsis yelled and waited for the man to come to the cell. "Turn the heat up." He instructed._

 _"Sir, do you want the tools as well?"_

 _"She's behaving. It's quite alright._

 _She's only scared and wants to leave." He answered, plainly._

 _"Can I-I, mister?" Iris looked up at him, her teeth chattering._

 _"One more day. You'll go home in one more day. Stay and chat with me. What's your favorite color?"_

 _"Pink."_

 _"Does that girl still bully you?"_

 _"Georgia? H-How'd you know that?"_

 _"I know a lot of things."_

 _Iris shivered once again, then closed her eyes and soon fell asleep in his arms. He set her down on the bed with Axew, whom was asleep as well, and left out, closing the cell behind him._

 _"Is the chip activated?" He asked Colress._

 _Ghetsis was talking about a microchip he had planted inside of Iris' brain. Yep the crazy dude planted a microchip inside of her. That's how he was watching her every move for all of these years. Iris had no idea..._

 _ **…**_

"…I don't know what he wanted from me. He threatened me and he did knock me around a bit when I didn't behave but let me go…why did he do that?" Iris looked up at Drayden, "It's like he wants to torture me? Why does he hate me? I know he hates me."

"We'll have to find out." He sighed, holding his head, groaning, "He snuck up on us. We definitely have to keep our guards up."

Honestly.  
 _ **  
(A/N: I apologize for the late update. I'm writing a paper on Hamlet and romantic poets in English and also its my senior year. I'm not trying to fail lol. But yeah. Enjoy this chapter!)**_


	7. Chapter 7

Drayden came back from the bathroom down the hallway on the first floor and passed through the living room. He glanced over at Iris who was asleep in Lance's arms. The redhead looked up, attempting to say something but nothing came out. He held his bandaged head which was pounding from the lost battle earlier.

He was just…upset that he couldn't get Zekrom back. At one moment he connected with the creature. It listened to him and didn't hurt him, but Ghetsis seen that and increased the pain on the poor thing. He wanted to kill him for hurting it. Now he felt like a failure.

"There was nothing you could do. N told me what happened. It's quite alright. I'm impressed that you managed to make a connection with it. That was a smart move. It was letting us know that it needs our help. We won't give up." Drayden sat beside him, taking a deep breath, "Can I take her?"

Lance nodded slowly and Drayden took Iris in his arms, rocking her. It was just like that night he got her back from Ghetsis. He glanced down at her and saw her bruised up body and Axew sticking out of her hair. It was almost like the same picture. Except Iris was bigger and Axew was now a Haxorus and in it's Pokeball...

 _ **…**_

 _Iris was in plain view of the Opelucid Police Force. She could barely walk and she was messed up pretty badly. Axew in her arms and it was battered as well. They'd taken a awful beating from Ghetsis and his Hydriegon. So bad that Iris passed out in the forest a few times but somehow she'd wound up closer and closer to her town, as if something carried her._

 _Because something did carry her. Druddigon. The same one she befriended. It carried her as close as it could but because it was shy of trainers and people it didn't want to be seen. It left her someplace safe each time._

 _The police shone their flashlights on the trees and bushes and watched something come from it. They saw a little girl and Drayden immediately knew it was Iris. He ran over to her and picked her up in the air. She barely opened her eyes as she felt herself beginning to lose consciousness._

 _"Iris? Iris! Come on princess. Come on. Wake up." He shook her._

 _Officer Jenny picked up Axew and faced Drayden letting out a depressed sigh. "We need to get them some medical attention straightaway." She insisted, leading the way back to the ambulance. Drayden placed Iris on the stretcher and the medics loaded her in. He climbed in and took Axew from Officer Jenny. He gave her a look of gratitude for doing everything she can by dropping her assignments and everything to help find his daughter._

 _"How can I ever repay you?"_

 _"Just call me to the hospital when she gets better. I want to see her."_

 _"Done deal." With that, Drayden climbed back into the ambulance and held his little girl's hand. He placed a gentle kiss on her forehead, whispering, "I'm going to find who took you. I'm going to make them pay."_

 _He noticed the oversized overcoat around her shoulders. There was a large blue, designed P on it. He frowned a little, confused at where she'd gotten the coat._

 _"M-Mr. Dr-Drayden…" Iris whimpered, shutting her eyes tight._

 _"Shh…" He shushed her, rubbing her arm, softly, "S'okay."_

 _…_

That same moment from 9 years ago was how he was looking at her right now. Calming her down, holding her in a protective manner. The exact same way. Exact same. Now she was all grown up and taller, but still small and slim.

Lance watched Drayden carefully. He and Iris were alike. They both were raised without parents. His grandparents raised him and Clair as their own and Drayden raised Iris as his own. They all grew up learning the same things about how to train dragon types and how to master them. They were taught by the best.

"I baby her a lot." Drayden blurted out, letting out a deep sigh, "She's a young woman now. She can take care of herself, right?"

"Mr. Drayden, it's not like that." Lance told him, "You don't baby her at all. At least that's not what I see. Parents are supposed to be like this with their kids. If they aren't going to be, who will?"

"Dad." Iris her voice croaked, clearly showing she was drained and out of it, "You're my real dad." She stared him in the eyes, her eyes soon becoming drowsy much more than before.

"I'll never hurt you like he has done." Drayden promised, rubbing her small hand in his and then kissed her forehead, "You're my little girl."

Iris smiled small and then snuggled up against him before drifting back off to sleep. Drayden adjusted her on his lap and sat back to think about their training sessions a few years back. He remembers watching her train Axew. Then evolve it to Fraxure. Then to the healthy Haxorus it is now. Her partner Pokémon.

It sometimes hated it's pokeball and walked behind her. It missed when it could hide in her hair. Now it was far too big for her hair. Sometimes it gave her a piggy back ride, or because it loved that raven purple hair so much it'd untangle it and pull it apart just to play with it. Iris didn't mind. It was cute to her.

"Haxorrr…" The large Pokémon walked over to Drayden and Iris. It had been feeling much better than it was earlier, but it was worried about it's trainer. It sat down in front of the two, letting out a deep growl in frustration. It wanted Iris to be okay.

"Drago I'm okay." She opened her eyes, turning her attention to the large dragon. Iris was slow to get up at first because her body was still numb but then she was able to fall into the dragon's lap and it hugged her, licking her face.

Iris chuckled softly and rested her head against it's chest. "I can't believe you got out of your pokeball for me buddy. Do you really love me like that?"

"Hax. Haxorrr." It nodded answering her.

Translation: "Of course I do, Iris. You're my best friend."

"You're my best friend too, pally." Iris snuggled into it's belly and Haxorus rested it's chin on her head. Iris understood what it said. They had a special connection. That's how close they were. That's how every trainer should be with their Pokémon.

"Iris, you're okay." N smiled in her direction. He came over to her and hugged her, planting a small kiss on her forehead.

"So uhh, I guess we're related now, huh?" Iris scratched the back of her head.

"Apparently so." N sighed deeply, "I'm sorry you had to find out this way. I wish I had know."

"It's okay. I've just have had a pretty rough life. I had a rough time starting school and making friends. Nobody wanted to be friends with the orphan. I sat alone at lunch and never had any company. When Lance and Clair came, they changed my perspective on that. I just decided to try harder and ignore the people who told me I'd never be anything. I just…I felt they were right somehow. Nobody at the orphanage liked me and the parents who came to adopt other kids looked over me. Drayden came and surprised everybody. The famous Unova champion at an orphanage. Who would've thought. I just have one question, though, Drayden. Why me?" She questions.

"I'd been meaning to teach for a while and I had no idea how to deal with children. So I figured raising one in my footsteps would be a great idea. Turns out it was the best decision I'd ever made. I've learned a whole lot about loving one. You taught me that Iris. You have no idea but you taught me how to love. You're so wise and very open minded." Drayden answers, then knelt in front of her, "And you're so strong. I believe you're strong enough to win this war, you just have to believe it." He cupped her cheeks and planted a kiss on her forehead.

"Drayden I'm afraid of him. That's the problem. I'm afraid of Ghetsis. He's insane." Iris swallowed hard, "I'm just so incredibly terrified. I have no idea what to do."

"And when have I ever told you you were alone?"

"I-I- Well…"

"We do it together. We'll save Sparky. We'll all be by your side through this, Iris."

"Thanks, Mr. Drayden."

"I will always be here for you, Iris. You can always come to me. I'll never leave you.'

"You're the only family I have left."

"And I'll be here til the end."

 _ **(A/N: Sorry for the late update. I had started a gaming series on YouTube for Pokemon Liquid Crystal, the hack remake of Pokemon Crystal, plus my favorite ROM hack ever made.**_

 _ **It's on my YouTube channel playlist right here:**_

 _ **LP #01: Let's Play Pokémon Liquid Crystal: playlist?list=PL7ZjoOpNcNRqfCHkSIofwazd8fzZ4pM37**_

 _ **I recorded the gameplay on my tablet. You can check it out if you'd like.**_

 _ **Anyways updates soon and more longer haha.**_

 _ **Have a great day folks!)**_


	8. Chapter 8

"Haxorus, use Dragon Dance!" Iris commanded.

She was out on the battlefield outside her house. She was training against Georgia against her ice type team. She needed to find a way to beat ice types with her dragon team. Although Georgia grew up studying dragons at the Opelucid Academy, she had a knack for ice types.

It was a three on three match-up. Haxorus, Druddigon, and Hydreigon versus Frosslass, Abomasnow, and Kingdra.

Iris asked her not to hold back and give it everything she had. She didn't ask for it to be easy because she knew she was in for the fight of her life, come Ghetsis.

"Froslass, Hail!" Georgia demanded.

The sun forbeared to shine as the storm clouds came and crossed paths across one another. The winds picked up and the air grew colder. Much much colder. It wasn't dragon type weather anymore. Now the hail began to drop from the skies.

It was getting so cold to where Iris could see her breath. She shivered, obviously becoming cold. She had to shake it off so she took off her cape and sent it flying behind her. If her Pokemon were going to deal with it then so was she.

The battlefield then started to become heavily covered in ice, so if Haxorus made any physical attacks it had a chance of slipping and falling.

"You okay?" Georgia called out to Iris, "This okay for you?"

"I'm okay." Iris replied, "Give it all you got."

Georgia wanted to make sure Iris was okay with moving forward under weather conditions like this. She didn't want an unfair fight.

"Haxorus, do you trust me?" Iris asked, placing a hand on the Pokemon's back.

She turns her head towards the young champion and nods, saying "Haxorrr..."

"We're going to try something new. I know you're afraid of ice but I need you to trust me 100%."

Haxorus then began speaking to her in it's own language. In translation to "I always trust you, Iris. I'm ready for anything."

"Dear Arceus, I hope this works." Iris prayed silently to herself.

She then puts on a bracelet that Lance had just given her before the battle and then slipped in a tiny stone she had found on her trip to the Dragon's Den in Johto when she visited it with Lance and Clair. Lance had always told her to keep that safe and she did. Today he told her to use it.

It was a Haxorusite. A Mega Stone for Haxorus for Mega Evolution.

She held up her wrist and the stone began to shine in a bright purple light. She knew it was starting to work because Haxorus started to react to it. Her eyes lit up and soon a big purple ball surrounded Haxorus. Everybody was watching on the sidelines and Georgia watched from her side of the field. They were all in pure awe. This was the first mega evolution Iris had done and the first Haxorus they had seen mega evolve.

The ball burst and out came Haxorus, looking new and improved. Sharper claws, it's tail was like medium-large flail with red spikes, a large red and black blade on the top of it's head, sharper knees, rougher skin, and even had grown gills so it could learn water type moves, despite being a dragon/ground type.

That wasn't all. It's tail lights a blazing blue flame when it's cold.

Iris had taken out her pokedex that her other close friend Bianca had given her a while back. She was checking the stats of it so she knew how to use it exactly.

"I don't even know how to use this thing wow." Iris' mouth dropped at the sight of her newly evolved Pokemon.

"It's moves are Draco Meteor, Dragon Pulse, Dragon Dance and now a newly learned move called Giga Impact." The pokedex informed.

Giga Impact.

"Um, use Giga Impact?" Iris wasn't even sure what to say next.

That's when Haxorus opened it's mouth wide and a blinding white light began to form inside of it's mouth. When it was ready, it erupted from its mouth, shooting at blazing speed. It was too quick for Froslass to try and dodge so it took it head-on.

It caused black smoke to cover the entire battlefield, almost as if smokescreen had just been used. Iris coughed, desperately trying to get air. When the smoke finally decided to clear, she looked to see Frosslass on the ground. It had fainted and Haxorus was still standing. Healthy as can be.

Georgia had a shocked expression on her face. She couldn't even **fathom** what was happening.

That darned Iris. Always finding a way to look cool.

Haxorus then began to do a celebratory dance, hopping from one foot to the other in a rapid manner. It felt great. It didn't even care that it was stepping on ice.

"I think I found a way to beat Ghetsis." Iris says aloud, keeping her eyes on Mega Haxorus.

 **...**

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU'RE GOING ALONE?!" Drayden and Lance shouted.

"I don't want anybody else getting hurt because of this." Iris tells them in a soft tone, "I can do this I just need you guys to trust me."

"Iris, I'm with whatever decision you'd like to make but are you sure going alone is the right thing to do?" Clair asks in a concerned manner.

"Yes. N is going because his Pokemon was taken too but it's my fight and I don't want the people I love to suffer because I was too scared to face him alone." Iris tells them, "So the day I'm ready, I...I'll face him and I'll end this. I'm ready."

"I can't stop you from wanting to do this alone but what I can do is wait for you to come home so I know you succeeded." Drayden responded, "You go and you come right back, Iris."

Lance reached over and held both of her hands in his. She looked down at their intertwined hands and then looked up into his crimson colored eyes. He had that famous smile she liked on his face and it let her know he was with her.

"Oh Lance." Iris whispers and gives him a hug, her head buried in his chest because she's so small and he's the tallest in the house besides Drayden.

"I'll always have your back, suga." He mumbled against her temple, "Whatever you need me to do I'm here. I'll wait for you. I believe in you."

Just what she wanted to hear from him. Wanted? More like needed. She needed him to say that so she felt morally okay with this. She didn't want him going off and doing it for her and risking his life.

"Look at me." Lance says softly and lifts her chin, "I'm proud that you're doing this. It shows your strength, your determination, your willpower. You have the true heart, mind, and soul of a champion. So many times you've proved your worth and I'm proud to watch that from afar. I'm proud to call you my other half, Iris. I love you."

"Lance." Iris couldn't help but let a tear slide down her cheek. It was tears of joy. She smiled as more trickled down her cheeks.

He had a way with his words and it made her heart melt like crazy. He was such a sweet guy.

"I love you too." She finished then gave him another hug.

With support from her peers, she felt confident enough. She needed to know that this was the right thing to do and she had gotten her confirmation right then. She had to face her fears on her own and maybe it was best that way. Ghetsis did only seem to want Iris.

N, on the other hand, just came to iris for help. He didn't want to do face his father alone and Iris understood why. Who knows what the man had up his sleeve. He was crazy in the head. Iris told him she had his back if he had hers. N was protective of Iris so that was without a doubt.

His ace Pokemon was Zoroark and Iris being Haxorus. They didn't know how it would work against Kyurem but they had a plan and that's all that mattered.

Directly after that meeting that Iris put together, Lance pulls Iris onto the upstairs patio outside her room so they could have a small date. The moon shone bright in the sky and the light was directly on them. They were both staring out at the stars, looking around the beautiful night skies. There were some dragon Pokemon flying across the moon. Iris would always like to be outside just to watch them.

It grew a little chilly out there so Lance, being a gentleman, took off his jacket and placed it on Iris' shoulders when he realized she was shivering. He then rubbed her shoulders, softly, giving her a small massage.

She let out gentle groans to let him know she enjoyed it. He pressed his warm lips against the crook of her neck and she wraps her arm around the side of his neck, brushing her hand up against his ear and his crimson colored spikes in his hair.

"You know what I like about you, Iris?" He mumbled against her skin.

"Hm?" She giggled and laced her free hand with his against the railing.

"This beautiful brown skin of yours. Your melanin is like pure gold, so soft and shiny. I've never seen such a beautiful skin color before."

Iris blushed and looked down at their intertwined fingers. She hadn't know what to say.

"Lance..."

"Look how it shines in the moonlight. Just beautiful." He whispers in her ear.

"You're so sweet."

"And you eyes. A nice shade of maroon. Everytime I look in them I see a sparkle."

"Why am I so lucky to have a boyfriend like you?"

"I'm admiring every inch of you, Iris. You deserve nothing but love. I wanna give that to you." He hugged her from behind, almost like a bear hug.

"Lance, you're gonna make me cry again." As if Iris' smile couldn't get anymore bigger.

"Smile that pretty smile of yours." He plants a kiss on her temple.

Iris was loving every minute with Lance. It was only a matter of time before he had to go back go Johto though. He had to take a family emergency leave for her and if only lasted a little time. He had to leave soon but he really didn't want to. He and Clair were talking about it when Iris was asleep and he was really thinking about just going back when Iris wanted him to.

What they didn't know was Iris had heard every word of their conversation. Deep down she didn't want Lance to go just yet but she knew she had do let him go. He was a champion like she was.

"I wish we could stay like this, sweetie." Iris rested her head on his shoulder.

Now they were sitting there, relaxed, Iris in his lap and Lance running his hands through her violet colored hair, gently.

"We could." He suggests.

"But you have to go back soon."

He didn't say anything. He just held her closer and continue his gentle strokes of her hair.

"Lance I don't want you to leave." She added.

"I won't." He soothed, "I won't leave until you want me to."

"You won't get fired, will you?"

"If I do it was for a pretty good reason." He shrugged.

"Lance..."

"I'm just saying."

"Don't get in trouble for me."

"You're worth it."

"You're such a cutie. Come here." She giggled and then pulled him in for a short kiss, "I love you."

"I love you too."

 **(A/N: It's been a year since I updated this fic and it was because of school. Well I graduated and now have free time for this fanfic. I'm proud to start it up again with this chapter and hope to finish and start more up. Follow. Fave. Review.**

 **I'll have more updates up soon.)**


	9. Chapter 9

_"M-Mister Ghetsis! Please stop! I-I'll be good!" A young Iris screamed her little lungs out._

 _She was tied up to the wall behind her and Ghetsis kept using electroshock tools that was powered by his Eeleketross. She had tried to escape him by using some techniques she learned while exploring the wild. She almost got free until his Hydreigon stopped her._

 _"You dare try to escape me, child? I should kill you right now!" He snarled at her._

 _Iris was begging him, pleading for him to spare her life. She didn't want to die. She wanted to live out her dream of being a dragon master. She just prays that Drayden was coming to get her. She didn't want to waste another second here. She knew what he was capable of and quite frankly she didn't want anymore of it._

 _"Ghetsis, she's a child." Colress stated._

 _He felt shame. He didn't want to do this to Iris. Torturing a child was pure evil. It was against his morals._

 _"Shut up or I'll use it on you." Ghetsis threatened._

 _"She's a child, sir. Have mercy." He repeated._

 _He was trying to save Iris._

 _"Fine." He let out an angry growl._

 _Ghetsis put the two metal tools on the desk beside him and then looks at Iris. She closes her eyes so she doesn't look at him. She can't look at him. She just can't. He grabs her chin to force her to look him directly in the eyes._

 _She was shivering. Not because she was cold or terrified but because of the aftershocks. It could've also been because she had been drenched with freezing cold water beforehand. His intention was to kill her at first. He could've if he wanted to._

 _He liked to see her suffer._

 _"Axew's so cute." He smirked, "A fiesty one too. She was trying to use that Dragon Pulse against me because she can't even learn it properly. Your dream is to become a dragon master right? Train with me and I'll help you. Drayden can't offer you what I can."_

 _"Drayden would never hurt me like you can." Iris looked down, sadly._

 _"You disobeyed me."_

 _"I-I was scared a-and-"_

 _"Why would I scare you Iris?"_

 _"Y-You took me a-and I wanna go home."_

 _"What's so bad about here? Hm? You don't like me?"_

 _She flinched when he said that and just put her head down to begin crying._

 _"Please let me go home. Please."_

 _..._

Iris woke up that night drenched in sweat. She glanced over at the clock and noticed the time said 5:42 a.m. She sighed and covered her eyes before falling back to the bed. She was so exhausted but at the same time she was afraid to go back to sleep. No more bad memories. She needed to clear her head so she got up out of bed, slipped on some shoes, grabbed a jacket and Drago's Pokeball, and was headed out her room.

"Going for a walk, Drago." She whispered to the pokeball as if the Pokemon could hear her.

She was able to slip out of the house, even with Drayden on the couch asleep, but she hadn't realized Clair was outside, talking with her fiancee over her PokeGear.

"Hey, Iris. Where you going?" She asked.

"For a walk." Iris replied, "Clearing my head."

"I'll call you back, babe." Clair hung up and then hopped off of the step, following Iris.

"You didn't have to come if you didn't want to." Iris tells her once she notices her shadow.

"Hey. Just looking after my favorite bestie." Clair wraps an arm around her, protectively and they began on their walk.

Iris sent out Haxorus and it followed behind them. That made Clair sent out her Druddigon to do the same.

"Everytime I look at him, I won't forget the story." Iris smiled small, pointing back at Druddigon, "Your grandparents took you, me and Lance on a trip to Decolore Islands and we encountered Druddigon. It was injured and angry but you knew what to do. You calmed him down with your special self made remedy and he wanted to come with you."

"Drud." Druddigon smiled and Claire rubs his head. He liked it when she did that.

"Yeah. I heard about this Druddigon and how it was picked on for being a different color. That's why it was so angry and terrified. It didn't trust anybody."

"But you."

"Kinda reminds me of someone I know." She ruffled Iris' hair.

Iris felt a small blush come on and then locks arms with Clair. She felt somewhat safer just then. Clair basically said she had her back.

"Clair, I…had a hard time growing up." Iris swallowed hard, then continued, "Between being picked on everyday at the academy and pushing myself to limits I never knew I had to just this going on right now about Ghetsis. I just wish things were more easier, you know? I'm tired of stressing and being afraid."

"Life's never easy, Iris." Clair looks down at her and tells her, "It's normal to grow tired and weary but it doesn't mean to give up. Keep moving forward no matter what. You may lose that one battle but it doesn't mean lose the war. You are in control, sweetheart. I want you to understand that."

"Thanks, Clair." She whispered.

"You're welcome. I'm always here for you, Iris. That's what besties are for."

"Also um." Iris' face was red and she had a shy smile on her face.

"Is it about Lance?" She chuckled, noticing the funny look on her face.

"No I um...wanted to ask you something." She began fidgeting with her fingers.

"About?"

"My mom."

Clair's eyes lit up when she said that. She was quite interested now. "I'm listening." She states.

"Her name is Marissa." Iris smiles up at the sky, "I know what Ghetsis told me was true because I have had dreams, well more like flashbacks to years ago when he kidnapped me. He showed me a picture of her. She was so beautiful. The same eye color, skin color hair color as me. I just...I wish I could've met her."

"I'm sure she would've been proud to see the fine young woman you've grown out to be." Clair replied with a soft smile. She had loved hearing her talk about this. Even though she would never meet her it just warmed her heart.

"Yeah." She smiled down at her Iris flower necklace. She had that since birth. She hadn't had any idea where it came from but she felt that it was her lucky charm so she kept it and never took it off.

"You think that was hers?"

"It feels like it. It feels as if I've been connected to her all my life and I never knew."

"One of these days, I'm going to take you to her gravesite for you to pay your respects."

"Thank you so much, Clair." Iris hadn't known what else to say. It really made her happy that she would do something like that for her.

That's when they both see something flying across the skies. A shooting star is what they could make it out to be.

"Make a wish, Iris." Clair pointed.

Iris' eyes followed the star as it traveled across the skies. As it disappeared into thin air, she took a deep breath and began to make her wish silently.

She wished she could talk to her mother. Just a talk. Doesn't have to be long. She just wanted one talk. She wanted to know what she was like and what she actually did for a living.

"I hope you come true." She whispered to herself.

"Where'd you two go?" Lance asked as Clair and Iris came in the back door of the house which lead to the kitchen.

"A walk." Iris replied and then greets her boyfriend with a small hug, "Morning Lance."

"Morning Iris." He hugs her back with a soft smile beginning to form. He wasn't afraid to give her a peck on the forehead either.

"Where's my good morning, Lancey?" Clair teased.

"You get nothing." Lance stuck his tongue out.

"That's fine but you do realize I'm cooking breakfast right?" She snorted and headed towards the stove.

"Good morning, cuz." Lance grumbled.

He knew not to play because Clair had excellent cooking.

"Iris." Drayden walked into the kitchen, followed by Georgia. He had a newspaper in his hand and was ready to share some new-found information with her.

"Yeah, Mr. Drayden?" Iris answered.

"You know how Johto, Hoenn, and Sinnoh all have Battle Frontiers?" He asked.

"Yes."

"Unova has one in development and wants me to be the Battle Tower Head. And then winners who defeat all five leaders get a shot at battling you, the Unova Champion."

"Wait but what about Shauntal, Marshall, Caitlin, and Grimsley?" Her face dropped at that.

"They get to be the other heads. It's like an upgrade."

"Wait I'm so confused so what's happening to the Pokemon League?"

"After the incident I'm guessing they decided to just move you guys to better and safer jobs. Think of it as an elite five."

"But wouldn't you have to gather all the Unova League Badges to enter?"

"Yes you would."

"Okay now I feel a bit better."

"They wanted to make it more challenging. Your friends will be over to speak with you about it shortly and don't worry. You don't have to make a decision now. They just want to talk to you about it. See where your head's at."

At first Iris wasn't on board with it because she didn't know how it would effect the elite four but since they're basically coming with her and Drayden, she's okay with it. It's like an upgrade. Exactly what Drayden said. Elite Five Frontier Brains of the Unova Battle Frontier and then the Unova Champion. Requirements to enter are eight Unova League Badges. Makes perfect sense.

Iris didn't mind if it was some sort of promotion really. She just wanted to remain the champion and she was so she was happy.

"So where's the Battle Frontier going to be?" Lance asked.

"They're going to remodel the Pokemon League into it. Make it "bigger and better" as they've told me." Drayden answered.

"Change is good, right?" Iris looked up at Drayden as she asked that.

"Yes. I can guarantee you that."

There was a sudden knock at the door and Iris headed towards the front door, opening it. It was the her fellow elite four members. She let them in and they exchange hugs to greet her. After that they all had a seat on the sofas and chairs spread around the living room and Iris stood there before them.

"First of all, how are things, lovely?" Caitlin asked in a gentle tone.

"Been better." Iris replied, "but getting through it."

"Good. You scared us, sweetheart. Don't ever do that again." Grimsley lets out a relieved sigh.

"It took me by surprise, Grim. I mean how did he get past you guys?" She looks all around at them.

The four looked at each other, confused, and then looked at her, simultaneously.

"Well. Actually we hadn't had challenges all day that day, Iris." Marshall answers for them.

"What do you mean you didn't have challenges all day that day?" Iris frowned.

"Seriously. It was pretty dry. So dry I read a whole shelf of my books." Shauntal responded.

"So he snuck in." Iris had an uncomfortable facial expression on her face, "How did he get to my room?"

"Well if he knows everything about you as you claimed to tell us, maybe he knew how to get in." Shauntal pointed out.

Ghetsis wanted to get to business right away and the elite four would've held him back. So he had found a way to Iris' room without challenging the four. He knew the security password to her room. It was premeditated. He had it all planned out and it worked.

"Are you okay, Iris?" Marshall was quick to grab ahold of her once he noticed her as if she were getting sick.

She was shivering. Shivering in fear.

"I'm okay, Marshall." Iris whispered and sat down next to him.

She had to sit down before she passed out.

Ghetsis knew how to make her skin crawl all over. He still had her thinking about the traumatic experiences. She was still suffering PTSD and the nightmares all over again and as if it had happened for the first time.

"We should talk about something else, my dear. You're not well." Grimsley states worriedly as he felt her forehead.

"Am I...the reason why the Unova Pokemon League is getting an upgrade?" Iris asked, her voice as quiet as a mouse.

"No. What made you say that?" Caitlin queried.

"Because I feel like it." Iris swallowed hard before continuing, "And I don't want you guys being in the middle of my mess."

"Iris, we're your friends. Why would we blame you for something that isn't your fault?" Shauntal placed a hand on her shoulder, "Besides being a Frontier Brain seems kinda cool."

"But-"

"Iris, don't beat yourself up." Marshall soothed, "We like the idea they're doing and we don't mind, especially if it has higher security. You would be safe. Trust us. Don't worry so much, okay? We got your back."

"Thank you, Marshall. Grim. Cait. Shaun. Thank you guys for being the greatest elite four a champion could ask for." Iris smiled small and thanked every single one of them.

"Always, Iris. Always."

One by one, they all hugged Iris to show their compassion and support for her. They meant what they said and they were there by her side no matter what.

 _ **Earlier that morning…**_

 _"She made a wish." Ghetsis stated, "If she wants her, I'll gladly take her to her grave to see her. Clair doesn't need to do anything."_

 _He then turned around in his chair from the giant screen he was watching. It was Iris and Clair with Druddigon and Haxorus._

 _"Little Iris. Just like her mommy. If only I had actually raised her with N. How foolish of me to give her up. I guess I do have too good of a heart. Regret that now. She's such a strong trainer and an excellent dragon tamer. Unova Champion suits her well. I wonder if I could get her to join me. Father and daughter. She could be the Queen of Team Plasma instead of that traitor N dropping out from being King. She would never though. Not unless she wants to save her precious Sparky."_

Oh Arceus.


	10. Chapter 10: Zinnia

Tresses of soft, spiky jet black hair were plastered all over her small head, some even dangling over her eyes. She had child-like facial features, her jet black colored eyes resembling a Lillipup's. The girl had a tiny nose and wore a pretty smile across her face, showing her pearly white teeth. She was beautiful to people who would pass by and look at her.

She wore dragon tamer attire, a creamy white cape wrapped around her shoulders and flying behind her, a black and red colorway tank top underneath it with gray shorts wrapped around her thighs. And on her ankle she wore a mega anklet, mind you that trainers wore mega bracelets on their wrists.

But she was different.

A Draconoid, one of the very few in existence besides her grandmother, was what she was. She had helped Pokemon trainers May Maple and Brendan Birch summon Rayquaza and stop a meteor from destroying the planet.

She was indeed a dragon master as well, her trusty partner being Salamence.

Her name was Zinnia and she had learned about a fellow Dragon Master's certain problem recently. She hadn't known the Unova Champion but she just had to meet her and help her in any way that she could.

Just as Lance and Iris had been outside ready to have a Pokémon battle, his Mega Charizard (X) versus her Mega Salamence, with Clair watching from the sidelines, Zinnia watched afar from the tree she had been standing in.

"So this is Iris Masters." She wonders, her lips curving into a soft smile.

"Lance, you're totally gonna lose this." Iris stated, cockily.

"Oh I beg to differ, Iris." Lance replied with a chuckle, "Ladies first."

"I think I'll take you up on that offer, Lance." Zinnia called down to him and it causes everybody to look around out of pure confusion.

"Who said that?" Lance asked, glancing around in every place possible.

"I did." Zinnia replied.

They all look up to see where it had come from. She stood there and waves at them. Iris gets a peculiar feeling in her gut as she watches the weird girl make eye contact with Lance and even winks at him. Lance could feel his face grow hot as he blushed a bit once she had done that. Zinnia doesn't take long before she dives out of the tree and front flips into a perfect landing on her feet.

"Hi, Zinnia." Lance cleared his throat, rubbing the back of his neck.

"You know her?" Clair asked, narrowing her eyes at her redheaded cousin.

"She's a…friend."

Lance had been hiding something and both Iris and Clair could tell. He was oddly nervous around this mysterious girl. His hands were shaking and his heart had been pounding very loudly. How did he exactly know her? The answer was clear.

He was a Draconoid as well, from his father's side of the family. Clair wasn't because she was from his mother's side of the family and his grandparents were from his mother's side just like her. They had told him everything when he was just a kid and Zinnia and her grandmother often visited Lance whenever Clair wasn't around.

It wasn't anything to hide, which he hadn't. He just felt that it was never really important to bring up in situations that hadn't had anything to do with it.

Like now.

"A close friend." Zinnia placed her arm around Lance, beaming up at him, "So wassup how ya been?"

"Um Lance." Claire grabs him by his ear and pulls him aside, Iris following them both, "You're not talking to no other friends but Iris, right? Because I would have to murder you before she does."

"What? No. Not that kind of friend." Lance held his hands up defensively.

"Then who is she?"

Lance let out a deep sigh and shoves his hands in his pockets of his jumpsuit. He didn't know exactly where to start. It was a long story. Literally.

"A friend." The nosy girl butts her head in their conversation, causing Iris to send her an annoyed look, only to get a sheepish smile in return, "Only Draconoids understand."

You could tell by her impatient eyes that Iris wanted answers and she wanted them now. She wanted to know why Lance wasn't telling her anything and she wanted to know who this Zinnia girl was. Her nostrils flared like a dragon's would whenever they were angry and her lips pursed together.

Zinnia offers to shake Iris' hand and says, "Who I am isn't important if that's what you'd like to know, Iris Masters. But my name is Zinnia. I'm an old friend of Lance's. Your boyfriend, right?"

Iris stays silent and hesitantly shakes the taller girl's hand. She doesn't trust her just yet but she wants to at least give her a chance.

"So you're a shy one. That's completely okay. I heard about what happened and I am deeply sorry that happened. I offer my services to you and will help out at any costs. Whatever you need, I'm there."

"You could've called first." Lance commented.

"That's all you have to say? Where's my welcome, Red?" Zinnia punched his arm, playfully.

"You didn't exactly come announced." He mumbled with an eyeroll, "Anyway, Iris. Clair. This is Zinnia."

"Finally, you introduce us." The dark haired girl teased, "It's nice to meet you both."

"You too." Only Clair responds, her arms folding across her chest.

Clair is suspect of her just like Iris is. Zinnia can tell but she doesn't blame them. She does believe her entrance was rather...inappropriate. She made herself seem like a suspicious character and she curses herself for doing so. So to make up for it she figures she could help Iris out.

"Is there anything I can do to get you to open up to me?" She voiced, hopefully.

"I just want answers." Iris finally spoke up.

Zinnia smiles to herself as she finally gets the younger black girl to speak to her. She feels that she's making progress. She responds with, "Okay. How about this. I'll give you answers if you beat me in a battle. Right here, right now."

At first she felt that would be a bit too much to say because she was already making things work, but surprisingly Iris accepted her challenge.

"Alright." Now Iris' lips curve into a confident smile and she graciously accepts Zinnia's challenge.

It wasn't like she solved every problem with a Pokémon battle. It was just in her blood to have a love for battling and Pokémon. Perks of being the champion with a dragon's heart.

"Um maybe you shouldn't do this, Iris." Lance says, oddly becoming concerned.

"Aw c'mon Lancey! You always have to ruin the fun!" Zinnia complained.

"Why not, Lance?" Iris asks, puzzled.

"Because she's incredibly strong." He explained, briefly.

"That's not a good enough excuse. You know I like challenges." She reaches out her hand to lace it with his, "I know you're just trying to protect me and I really appreciate that, sweetie."

Just as Lance was about to respond to her, Zinnia pops on his shoulder, pinching his cheek.

"Wittle Lance is jwust mad I beat him all thwose times." She cooed.

Clair snorted loud unintendedly. She placed a hand over her mouth, forcing back her teasing giggles. Iris looks at her best friend and ends up giggling along with her.

"Shut up." Lance seethed at Zinnia, "We all know who's the better Dragon Master out of us both."

"That would be me." She points to herself.

"Nope. Iris." He points at his girlfriend and it causes both her and Clair to stop giggling. They looked at each other and then back at him.

"Um Lance." The purple haired beauty starts but then stops herself. She decides not to say anything else and let her battling do the talking.

Both Zinnia and Iris went to opposite sides of the battlefield, Iris keeping her Mega Salamence out on the field and eager to see the type of Pokémon Zinnia was about to summon out.

"Since you're using your Salamence, I guess I'll send mine out." She tosses a luxury ball into the air and out pops a Salamence.

But it wasn't just any Salamence. It was a Salamence of a different color, similar to Clair's Druddigon. Actually, it had the same colors as the Druddigon of a different color. It's main body was green when it was normally a nice shade of light blue and it's wings were a dark orange when it was normally red.

Both Iris and Clair stare at it in complete awe. It was never before seen to them. Lance had seen it before because he was there when she hatched it from a Bagon. A small, proud smile spreads across his lips as he witnesses her send it out. He was happy to see how much stronger she had gotten, despite her always beating him. She was still his friend regardless.

"That's a Salamence?" Iris not once took her eyed off of it.

"Hatched it from birth. It's always been this color." Zinnia replied, proudly.

"That's kind of like my Druddigon!" Clair spoke up, turning their attention to her, "Same colors too!"

"When we're done here, you so have to show me."

Zinnia meant it too. She wanted to see her Pokémon. Maybe she and Clair could battle too afterwards. It would be a good way to strengthen the developing bond between them.

"Salamencite, activate. Mega Evolution, let's go!"

Iris watches her opponent carefully from where she's standing. She's glancing around for her Mega Bracelet but she doesn't see one in sight. A flashing purple light caught her eye on the girl's anklet she had been wearing.

"So that's how she uses it." She thinks, "Not too shabby."

A big bright purple sphere had conjured up around Zinnia's Salamence and covered every single part of it. It made everybody bring their arms up to their eyes to shield it from the bright light and from the dust that the sudden that picked up around them.

It was in a matter of minutes once the newly evolved Salamence had come out. It had been in the same form that Iris' Salamence was in now, just of a different color. The two beasts faced each other from opposite sides of the field and Zinnia's Salamence fesrlessly roars out loud.

"GRAAAAHH!" The decolored beast roared.

"We'll gladly take the first move if you don't mind." Zinnia clears her throat, then demands, "Salamence use Flamethrower!"

As a ball of intense hot fiery orange flames built up in her Salamence's mouth, it gave time for Iris to quickly yell out a command for her Salamence, "Counter it with your Flamethrower, Salamence!"

Iris' Salamence built up a ball of intense, hot fiery orange flames in its mouth and when it was ready to unleash it's Flamethrower attack, it had done it the same exact time Zinnia's Salamence did, both fire blasts shooting towards each other with impressive speed. They hit at the exact same time, staying directly in the middle.

"It's a match." Lance gasped.

"Not too bad, Iris." Zinnia voiced, her eyes narrowing and a small smirk coming across the edge of her lips, "but Lance forgot to tell you I always win the Flamethrower battles."

Her eyes grew wide once she said that and she watched Zinnia's Salamence shoot it's Flamethrower blast farther towards her and her Salamence. Before she knew it, it pushed it all the way back and caused Salamence to go flying backwards. Iris gasped as she watched her Pokémon come flying back towards her. Being in such shock and unable to move, she felt something tackle her and a breeze blow right through her hair.

 _ **THUD!** _ That was the sound of her Salamence hitting the pavement behind her.

Iris looks up in confusion to see Lance ontop of her. He had tackled her so she wouldn't get hit. He held his hand out for her and she grabs his. He helps her to her feet and starts dusting her off and apologizing for doing what he had just done.

"What. The heck. Was that?" She didn't even have the right words for what she had just experienced, "Did I just lose?"

"Salamence is okay, Iris." Clair called from where she had been standing. She immediately went to go check on the Pokémon after it had took that dangerous hit.

It was injured but it could survive a few more hits.

"It's on now." Rage filled her maroon colored eyes and she had felt a sudden determination inside her veins as the blood started to boil inside of them. She had never seen a hit like that before and she was sure not about to see it again.

"Dragon Pulse, Salamence!" Iris shouted.

Salamence flew up into the air at her command, blocking the sun that beamed downward on them. It opened its mouth, a dark gray/blue beam of energy erupting from the giant blue dragon's mouth and headed straight for Zinnia's Salamence. She didn't have enough time to yell a "dodge" because before the word "dodge" could even come from her lips, the Dragon Pulse had struck the discoloured Salamence head on.

The dragon roared out in pain, the attack being super effective against it.

"Nice one Iris!" Lance cheered from the sidelines.

"We're kinda upset you caught us off guard but not once more, hear champ?" Zinnia winked at her, "Now use full power Draco Meteor, Salamence! Finish this!"

"Oh dear." Clair ran a hand through her baby blue locks over her forehead, nervously.

She knew Draco Meteor was not a dodgeable move and that Iris and her Salamence were not going to win this thing on low health, unless she had something up her sleeve.

Salamence lands back on the ground and looks back at it's trainer. Iris has a small smile on her face and she runs a small hand over the Pokémon's head, stroking it softly. It closed its eyes and began growling softly as if it were enjoying Iris comfort it.

"You know what to do." Iris gets on her tiptoes and plants a kiss on the same spot of the Pokémon's head she had been rubbing, then backs away.

As Zinnia's Salamence erupted bright red blasts above it's head and into the skies, they came crashing down all around Iris' side of the battlefield, creating numerous dust clouds and it spread around the entire field. Nobody could see a thing but brownish dust clouds.

"Something's wrong." Zinnia wondered to herself, "She was connecting with her Pokémon. Did she want to lose on purpose?"

"Iris? Iris!" Lance called before coughing violently.

"Lance did she just take a suicide hit?" Clair asked her redheaded cousin, "Because something's wrong here."

"I guess we have to wait until the it clears, Clair." Lance responded, worriedly, "but I hope she's okay."

The smoke-y dust clouds began to clear within a minute and Zinnia blinked at the opposing side of the field, a flabbergasted look being left on her face. Her mouth went agape when she realized that her opponents were gone. They hadn't been standing there like they were moments before.

"What the-?" She blurted out.

"Where's Iris?" Clair looked around, "Iris, where the heck did you go?"

"Right here." They all hear her soft voice and glance up at the skies where she had been flying on her Salamence, her clothes ragged and torn and visible parts of her skin scratched from some of the meteor attacks.

"What?! H-How did it miss?!" Zinnia sputtered, clearly taken aback by what she and the two Blackthorn cousins had witnessed.

"Let's wrap this up with one last Dragon Pulse, Salamence! Full power!" Iris commanded.

Once more Salamence conjured up a dark grayish/blue ball in its mouth, growing bigger than last time and unleashed it from its mouth. At blazing speed it shot downward and directly on the opposing Salamence, not once giving it time to defend itself.

And just like that, the Pokémon collapsed to the ground, fainting and returning to its normal form.

Iris won.

Zinnia still stood there in complete shock of what just happened. She collapsed to her knees and bent over to her hands. She's lost before but she really had gotten overconfident there. She didn't expect Iris to take this one.

A rough breeze of wind brushes past her ears, her hair blowing to the sides of her head and somehow designates that Iris and Salamence had landed on the ground. She then notices black and red boots in front of her. She presumes without looking up that it's Lance because he had similar boots to those but something told her to look up.

Zinnia looks up to see Iris standing there, her large purple locks flowing behind her and her black cape flowing to the side. Her jumpsuit had wears and tears in the arm sleeves and a gigantic hole in her left pants leg. There were scratches and small lacerations that were visible on her dark brown skin but she could manage with some old remedies. This was nothing.

The girl wore a smile on her face and her hand was held out for her. Zinnia returned the smile and happily took Iris' hand. Soon she was up to her feet and shaking hands with the young Unova Champion.

"That was one heck of a battle, Iris." The dark haired girl says, "You battle really well and prove your worth continuously of being a champion."

"You had us til I figured out how to get the heck out of the way." Iris chuckled and Zinnia joins in with it.

"I guess I should tell you what you want to know now. May we speak inside so I can speak to Drayden as well?"

Iris nods in response and motions for her to follow her. The two new friends followed behind Clair and Lance who were both in front of them and paced their way inside to talk to Drayden.

Maybe Zinnia could help her out.

 _ **(A/N: I'm in the process of editing a past few chapters of this story that I wrote last year to show how much my writing has improved. I'm almost finished and so here's an update for it.**_

 _ **I thought it would be cool to bring in Zinnia because she and iris are somewhat alike and would make great friends.)**_


End file.
